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INTERNED 



IN 



GERMANY 



BY 
HENRY C. MAHONEY 

AUTHOR OF 
"SIXTEEN MONTHS IN FOUR GERMAN PRISONS" 




NEW YORK 

Robert M. McEride ^ Company 

1918 



Copyright 1918 

by 

ROBERT M. McBRIDE & COMPANY 



\ 



MAy 22 19(8 



PUBLISHED MAY 1918 



©CI.A499069 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER 

I. The 



OF THE British 



Round-up 
Element .... 

II. The Home of the "K.G.'s" 

III. The Citizens of Ruhleben 

IV. The Foundation of the Church 
V. The Medical Administration . 

VI. Sanitation and Hygiene . • 

VII. The Establishment of Communal 
Government 

VIII. Benefits of the Commune 

IX. Life Under the Commune 

X. Outdoor Recreation 

XI. Indoor Entertainments 

XII. Bids for Freedom 

XIII. The Split in the Camp 

XIV. Trading in Ruhleben 
XV. The Trading Boom . 

XVI. Christmas in Ruhleben 

XVII. When the Pinch Was Felt 

XVIII. Freedom at Last! 



page 
I 

20 
36 
58 
71 
91 

108 

188 

236 

280 
296 

313 

337 
360 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



German Officers of Ruhleben Camp. Read- ^ 
iNG FROM Left to Right: The Chief; 
Chief Censor, Who Was a Favorite 
Amongst the Prisoners Owing to His 
Love of Fair Play ; Baron von Taube, in 
Charge of Affairs (Known as "Baron 
VON Two Face") ; the Remaining Two 
Being Members of the Censor Depart- 
ment ..... Frontispiece 

facing 

PAGE 

Barrack 5 Lined Up at Kitchen Waiting 

FOR Their Cabbage Soup ... 62 

An "Advertisement" from the Ruhleben 

Camp Magazine no 

Outside Barrack 5. Showing the Efforts 
of the Prisoners to Improve the Appear- 
ance OF Their Dismal Quarters . .158 

An Old Advertisement in a New Setting. 
One of the Cartoons from the Ruhle- 
ben Camp Magazine, Christmas, 1916 206 

vii 



FACING 
PAGE 

The Latest Achievement in Ruhleben. 
The Boys Worked Long and Hard to 
Cultivate Gardens to Make Their 
Crude Horse Boxes Look More Homely. 
The Windows Above Show the Lofts, 
THE Height from Floor to Roof Where 
We Slept Being 3 Ft. 6 In. . . . 256 

Cover Design of the Christmas, 1916, Num- 
ber OF the "Ruhleben Camp Magazine" 304 

Ruhleben British Concentration Camp. 
Financial Statement to ioth April 

1915 352 



Vlll 



PUBLISHER'S FOREWORD. 



/ ■ ^ 



HERE was published a year ago "Six- 
teen Months in Four German Prisons'' 
to which this volume is a sequel, being an 
account of the months spent by the author 
in the Ruhleben Internment Camp. Mr. 
Mahoney was passing through Germany on 
his way to Russia, when war broke out. He 
was arrested and with others sent to Wesel 
Prison, where he was tried secretly as a 
spy and though not found guilty he was 
never acquitted, but sent first to one prison 
camp and then another, becoming acquainted 
with Sennelager, Klingelputz, and finally 
Ruhleben, where he spent the last twelve 
months of his imprisonment, and whence 
he finally made good his escape. 

One of the points of especial interest of 
which little has been heard in this country 
is an account of a violent split among the 



IX 



English prisoners, there being a group of 
several hundred who were pro-German in 
their sympathies. The details are scarcely 
believable to us — even now when one is 
called on every day to believe the incredible. 
The conditions in German camps are now 
of vital interest to the American people. 
Very little accurate information has hereto- 
fore been obtainable. Mr. Mahoney's book 
is an unusual contribution to this informa- 
tion and to the literatu*-e of the war. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE ROUND-UP OF THE BRITISH 
ELEMENT 

I was kicking my heels disconsolately in 
the city of Cologne, an alien "on pass" in an 
enemy country. Alarmed at the serious con- 
dition of my health, which had been under- 
mined by privation and confinement, the 
German government had released me from 
the internment camp at Sennelager after an 
enforced stay of several weeks. The author- 
ities had offered me freedom within the 
country on parole, but as I emphatically 
declined — preferring the possibility of escape 
to England — they gave me merely a permit, 
good within the Cathedral city beside the 
Rhine, and its suburbs. 

I sought employment without success ; the 
Britisher was at a serious discount in the 
labor market at that time. Had it not been 
for the practical sympathy of a compatriot 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

and friend, Walter K , whom I had first 

met in Sennelager, I really think I should 
have petitioned the Teuton authorities for 
my return to prison, and if they had refused, 
should have committed some penal offense 
to obtain the protection, such as it was, of a 
German civil prison. 

K was one of those true friends whom 

one finds when in trouble. He had lived in 
Cologne for many years and was well estab- 
lished in commercial circles, hence he had 
suffered only a brief detention at Sennelager. 
Upon his release he returned to his old busi- 
ness, and the day we parted at the Senne- 
lager camp gates, he told me if I should ever 
be in his city to look him up and spend a 
few days with him. I took advantage of this 
invitation and visited him at his country 
home in a tiny, picturesque village overlook- 
ing the Rhine. 

My first anxiety on regaining restricted 
freedom was for my wife at home. I had 
left her, three months before, in a delicate 
state of health, and during the period of my 
imprisonment had not heard a word about 
her, nor had she heard from or about me. 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

One circumstance worried me especially. I 
had been told that a German newspaper had 
narrated my death, ''shot as a spy," after my 
military trial at Wesel of which I have al- 
ready written in my book, "Sixteen Months 
in Four German Prisons." I hoped against 
hope that this ghastly report had not reached 
her. 

I made several attempts to get a letter 
through, telling her of my whereabouts and 
experiences, but the German authorities put 
their foot down firmly upon the interchange 
of correspondence. I resorted to various 
subterfuges, but as I subsequently learned, 
none of these attempts was successful; 
either the letters went astray or, as is more 
probable, were officially intercepted and 
destroyed. 

During this period, my friend and I were 
greatly perturbed by the attitude of the 
German newspapers, which advocated the 
rounding-up of all British subjects in Ger- 
many. All of them called vehemently for 
drastic action, pointing out that the intern- 
ment camp established at Ruhleben was the 
very place for those of us who were "on 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

pass." The press went on to describe the 
amenities of the camp, dwelling at length 
upon the conveniences, comforts and amuse- 
ments provided for its inmates. Evidently 
the bright colors were laid too thickly upon 
the picture painted, for a volume of corre- 
spondence poured forth from irate patriots 
protesting against the pampering of enemy 
aliens and suggesting that we all be put to 
some useful work and made to realize that 
we were prisoners, not guests, of the Ger- 
man nation. 

The outlook was certainly forbidding. 
Both K and myself confidently antici- 
pated arrest at any moment. The climax 
came one evening. Two other compatriots, 

also released ''on pass," visited K at his 

home, although their permit was only for 
Cologne. In the village there was an impor- 
tant factory managed by three Englishmen, 
and the fact that seven Englishmen planted 
themselves in this tiny, remote village 
prompted the burgomeister, who knew K — 
intimately, to inquire half jestingly if he 
were contemplating the foundation of an 
English colony on the spot. 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

Upon the evening in question, these two 
friends came over. I had tickets for the 
opera, and accordingly left my three com- 
patriots playing cards and exchanging ex- 
periences. Coming out of the theatre at the 
end of the performance, my attention v^as 
caught by a new^spaper placard announcing 
the intention of the authorities to intern all 
Britons at once. 

When I reached K 's house I greeted 

them gaily v^ith "Cheer up, boys! WeVe 
all going to be clinked to-morrow !'' 

Animated discussion followed my account 
of the placard announcement. The two 
guests were in a quandary. According to 
regulations they were compelled to report 
themselves every day to the authorities in 
Cologne, because their passes confined them 
to that city. They were out of bounds at 

K 's home. The hour was late and they 

were afraid of being caught beyond the 
limits of their permit, in which event, need- 
less to say. Teuton system would have ex- 
acted punishment. But it was impossible for 
them to get back to the city that evening, so 
they spent the night with us. 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

They left us at an early hour next morning 
and went directly to the authorities to con- 
form with the regulation. The official in 
charge curtly ordered them to return home, 
pack their belongings and report again in half 
an hour. They seized this brief respite to 
telephone a warning to us. 

K at once bustled oft to the city to 

wind up his business and then returned to 
await the inevitable. During the morning 
I packed my few belongings, not forgetting 
the voluminous notes relating to my experi- 
ences in previous German prisons prepared 
during my leisure, and which I highly treas- 
ured. 

The blow fell that afternoon. Two de- 
tectives from Cologne were announced. 
They stated that we were both under arrest. 

From the tenor of the conversation, K 

concluded that the round-up was merely a 
matter of form, and that we should be re- 
leased as soon as we conformed with some 
new regulation or other which had been 
promulgated. I admired his optimism, but 
inwardly held a contrary opinion. I had 
occasion to view Teuton methods in a vastly 

6 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

different light, and did not regard the out- 
look with any degree of confidence. 

Our arrest had a light side that contrasted 
strangely with steel-bound German method 

and system. Both detectives knew K 

very well, and suggested — after a drink — 
that we should proceed to police headquar- 
ters as unobtrusively as possible. It was 
first necessary to report to the local burgo- 
meister, and the detectives expressed their 
readiness to meet us there by appointment, 
they in the meantimje changing from their 
conspicuous official uniforms into mufti. 

The appointment was fixed for 6 :30. K — 
and I, our bags packed with eatables, pre- 
sented ourselves well before time, to find 
that the three Britishers employed in the 
local factory had been corralled and similarly 
treated. The local formalities completed, we 
trooped merrily off to the city, captors and 
captives joking as if the best of friends. We 
stopped at a restaurant for a farewell dinner, 
and the detectives obligingly slipped to an- 
other table so as to disarm all suspicion. 
After dinner we resumed our journey, a fes- 
tive party until we turned the corner leading 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

to the prison whither we were bound. Di- 
rectly the building loomed in sight our de- 
tectives resumed their mask of officialdom, 
and with rough tongues and brusque manner 
bustled us into the presence of Teuton au- 
thority. 

We were at once passed on to the cells, 
where we were told we should have to make 
ourselves content until our papers came 
through from the military authorities. We 
continued to make light of the experience, 

and K stoutly maintained that in a few 

hours we should be free to roam Cologne 
again. But his optimism proved without 
foundation. We did not regain our permits 
for restricted freedom, but instead an un- 
solicited and unappreciated "pass" to Ruh- 
leben. 

Although German method and organiza- 
tion have been paraded before the world ad 
nauseum, and for the most part have been 
proved as empty as the proverbial wind-bag, 
yet there are one or two characteristics of 
Prussianism which cannot fail to command 
attention. The German Government never 
does things by halves, does not waste its time 

8 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

in idle threats, and although it frequently 
makes mistakes, the errors always work to 
the advantage of authority. When Teuton 
officialdom says a thing is to be done, it is 
done, and without the slightest delay. The 
celerity and completeness with which the 
British element, resident in, and travelling 
through, the country, was rounded up after 
the fiat went forth, bore this out very con- 
clusively. 

Within twelve hours of the publication of 
the decree every Britisher — except one — was 
safely placed under lock and key. 

It was the comprehensiveness of the 
round-up which created the greatest meas- 
ure of astonishment. The authorities were 
as indiscriminate as they were thorough. 
The tourist was taken with the man who had 
been settled in the country for ten, twenty, 
forty years; the millionaire was taken with 
the pauper; the bank manager with the com- 
mercial traveler; the magnate of business 
with his junior clerk. The governing prin- 
ciple was ''Arrest them all; sort them out 
afterwards." 

The round-up was marked by several pa- 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

thetic incidents. Many men, established in 
business, upon reading the notice to report 
themselves on November 6th, anticipated be- 
ing granted permission to proceed to their 
offices as usual. But they were disappointed. 
Directly they had been identified and 
docketed they were clapped into prison. 
They were not even given half an hour's 
o-race to bid farewell to their families ; were 
not permitted to communicate with their 
homes by letter or telephone; and possessed 
nothing beyond what they had with them. 
The distress created by this merciless 
method of arrest was far-reaching. Wives 
and children suddenly lost husband or father, 
and did not learn the truth for several days. 

When we reached the prison we found, in 
a pitiable state of distress, one man who had 
been arrested in this unceremonious man- 
ner. He had rushed away from a sick wife 
to comply with the order, only to be put 
under lock and key. He pleaded hard for 
permission to return and say good-bye, but 
his appeal fell upon deaf ears. 

Another Englishman who answered the 
call was imprisoned in the same hasty way, 

JO 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

and had not a penny in his pocket. One fel- 
low was particularly down-hearted. He had 
been established in Germany for many years, 
and had a prosperous business into which 
he had put all of his savings. His partner 
was a German; the authorities had dragged 
him off for military service, imprisoned the 
Englishman and commandeered the entire 
stock in the business. 

Even more pathetic was the case of an- 
other Englishman, a widower, who promptly 
answered the summons to report. He was 
condemned to the cells the minute his iden- 
tity was established. With tears in his eyes 
he explained that he had come in haste, leav- 
ing his two young children alone at home. 
Like everyone else, he had expected to be 
able to return home after complying with 
the regulation. He pleaded for permission 
to complete arrangements for his children's 
guardianship, but the authorities would not 
listen to him. He was not even allowed to 
communicate with his hom;e. His mental 
condition can be better imagined than de- 
scribed. 

Upon our transf errence to prison, our orig- 

II 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

inal party managed to keep together, K , 

the three British managers from the factory, 
and myself. While we were in Klingelputz, 
which was temporarily overcrowded, I was 
able to take stock of the permanent residents 
of this penitentiary, and they were the worst 
set of ruffians I have ever laid eyes upon, a 
large number of them serving long terms of 
penal servitude. 

One prisoner, as he walked the exercise 
yard, which our cells overlooked, aroused my 
special attention. He was garbed in the uni- 
form of the Red Cross, and for some time I 
puzzled my brains as to his inclusion among 
the "lifers" in such a dress. The gaolers 
told us that he was colloquially known as 
"Old Fingers." What crime had he com- 
mitted? Oh, he had been caught on the bat- 
tlefield, not succoring the wounded as his 
duty ordained, but robbing the dead and dy- 
ing. He had a penchant for rings, and in his 
greedy haste was unable to purloin them in a 
reasonably humane manner, but cut off the 
fingers instead. He was caught in the act, 
and his pockets found filled with dismem- 
bered fingers covered with rings. He was 

12 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

sentenced to fifteen years penal servitude, 
and compelled to parade the exercise ground 
in the Red Cross uniform that he had so 
abused, as a terrifying example. 

This wholesale round-up of Britishers 
speedily provoked complaint from affected 
German interests. The German who owned 
the factory managed by my friends, went to 
the authorities and declared that he would 
have to close his establishment unless his 
three British employees were released. My 
three compatriots were highly amused at his 
discomfiture, personally caring little whether 
he had to close down or not. He continued 
to appeal pleadingly for their release; and 
finally, as the three men concerned concluded 
that the pure air of the outer wold was pre- 
ferable to the oppressive atmosphere of our 
cell, their release was discussed. But they 

would not go out alone ; K was just as 

respected a citizen of Cologne as themselves, 

and K in turn declared that I would have 

to come, too, and offered to be responsible 
for my good behavior. 

This wholesale request rather staggered 
the authorities, but there was no other way 

^3 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

out, and things began to look brighter for 
us. Finally we were called and informed 
that we were to be allowed our freedom ''on 
pass'* as before. Two officers stepped for- 
ward to escort us to the Polizie Prasidium, 
the local equivalent of Scotland Yard, where 
we were to receive our papers. 

It was an exciting trip from one building 
to the other. We had to walk through the 
crowded market-place, and as soon as we 
were seen, the cry went up, ^'Schweine-hund 
Englander" and we were greeted with hisses 
and catcalls. Our guardians closed around 
and kept the yelping crowd at bay. Balked 
in their efforts, the mob opened a lively fusil- 
lade with a variety of missiles. Potatoes, 
rotten apples and other vegetable refuse 
rained upon our heads. If we had not been 
under escort, we should certainly have been 
roughly handled. 

When we reached the Prasidium another 
delay arose. Our papers had come from 
Coblentz, the administrative military center, 
by a route which was not in accordance with 
official regulations, and we were put into 
cells to wait until they had been redispatched 

^4 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

and received through the correct military 
channel. As it would be several days before 
they could be received, we realized that our 
case was hopeless. We could not escape in- 
ternment. Within a couple of hours the 
prison van drove up, and we were taken back 
to Kingelputz, to await transf errence to Ruh- 
leben. 

At half past four the next morning we 
were aroused and told to dress quickly — no 
easy matter, as our cell was lighted only by 
a single oil lamp. We were paraded, counted 
and recounted, until our heads began to 
whirl. Then, no man missing, we were lined 
up with what belongings we had, and under 
a strong armed escort, marched to the sta- 
tion. Although it was early in the morning, 
crowds had turned out to gaze upon the un- 
usual spectacle of several hundred British 
civilian prisoners being marched off in cus- 
tody. It was a listless crowd; the people 
looked at us sullenly but made no manifesta- 
tion of hostility. We turned into the station 
about eight o'clock, and were bundled 
straightway into the train, to make our- 
selves as comfortable as we could, a rather 

15 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

difficult task as the carriages were devoid of 
all heating apparatus, although it was a 
typical raw, depressing November morning. 
After an hour's wait the train started on its 
long pull to Ruhleben, via Hanover, and I do 
not think that trip will ever be forgotten by 
any of the luckless Britishers who were 
aboard. 

As was always the case when prisoners 
were forced to make a railway journey, no 
food or even water was provided en route. 
German organization does not take the com- 
missariat into consideration under such con- 
ditions. Those of us who observed the pre- 
caution to stock our bags and pockets with 
provender fared well enough ; but there were 
many who had no reserves at all. The wise 
shared their stocks with the foolish as far as 
possible, but there was scarcely sufficient to 
go round. One or two of our guards, out of 
sympathy, also divided their humble supplies 
with the prisoners, but for the most part our 
escort ignored us. When we stopped at a 
station, those who had money and were pre- 
pared to patronize the restaurant, found that 
no food was sold to prisoners. 

i6 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

It is not surprising that one or two of the 
party fainted from hunger and the stifling 
atmosphere of the crowded carriages, but 
they received no attention. At one station 
a man in distress persuaded his guard to 
make some purchase for him. As the guard 
was returning he was accosted by an officer, 
who on learning the destination of the 
edibles, promptly threw them, on the ground 
and kicked them hither and thither. 

Before we reached Hanover one of the 
party collapsed. The train drew up at the 
station platform, and seeing a party of Ger- 
man women wearing the uniform of the Red 
Cross we approached them and offered a 
mark — one shilling — for a basin of water 
with which to revive our comrade. When 
these young women learned that the water 
was only required for a ** Schweine-hund 
Englander," they emptied the basin on to the 
platform, spat in the man's face and turned 
on their heels. But they kept the money, 
doubtless as a contribution to the German 
Red Cross Fund. 

At nine-thirty the train resumed its tedi- 
ous journey. About six o'clock the next 

17 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

morning we reached the much vaunted Camp 
of Promise. It was damp, cold and dark. 
Our arrival had evidently been expected, for 
as we approached the internment camp we 
observed a large crowd of the prisoners al- 
ready in occupation gathered around the 
entrance. They gave a lusty cheer when 
they caught sight of us and pressed forward 
eagerly. Half a dozen bayonets flashed an- 
grily and beat them back. 

As we filed into the camp, the inquiry went 
up: 

"Hello, boys! Where are you from?" 

"Klingelputz," we called in reply. 

"How long were you there?" 

"Only a few days! Who are you?" 

"The ^K. G.'s^ " 

The answer came in a unanimous roar ut- 
tered with such vehemence as to startle our 
guards. 

"The 'K. G.'s?'" we repeated puzzled. 
"What's that?" 

"The Kaiser's Guests ! Come along. You'll 
soon understand." 

In extending their vociferous welcome to 
us each raised his tin bowl over his head, and 

i8 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

as we drew closer we saw inscribed on the 
side of each bowl, according to official in- 
structions, the two letters "K. G." I never 
fathomed their true significance, but the 
prisoners solved the problem to their own 
satisfaction. Every man in Ruhleben was 
facetiously identified as the ''Kaiser's Guest/' 



r9 



CHAPTER II. 

THE HOME OF THE "K. GfS" 

On that raw, marrow-chilling November 
morning, our new home did not appear es- 
pecially inviting, nor did the day seem a 
happy augury for our future welfare. We 
stamped our feet in the slush, and swung 
our arms vigorously in desperate efforts to 
beat some warmth into our quivering bodies. 
Then an Englishman, the Captain of the 
Camp, strode up and piloted us to the quar- 
ters that were to be our hom'e for so many 
dreary months. 

And what quarters ! It is difficult to give 
a convincing picture of the camp site, but one 
might compare the racecourse at Epsom 
with that at Ruhleben. The latter is every 
whit as exposed and certainly quite as 
dreary. Upon the occasion of a big race 
meeting, when the course was flanked with 
throngs of gaily attired fashionables, and 

20 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

the weather was warm and sunny, it did, no 
doubt, present an animated and inviting as- 
pect. But in the dawn of that drab Novem- 
ber morning it was about as attractive as a 
muck heap. 

The internment camp was not spread over 
the entire course. At that time the British 
prisoners were penned into a small corner — 
the paddock — with the grandstand, shorn of 
all its festiveness, thrown in as a kind of 
make-weight. The racecourse and trotting 
track were railed off. As we surveyed the 
low rambling buildings we wondered where 
our living quarters were installed; conceive 
our amazement when we learned that we 
were expected to make ourselves at home in 
the buildings that had been erected to accom- 
modate the horses and their provender — in 
other words, the small horse boxes and the 
hay lofts! 

The sight of the depressing surroundings 

strengthened our (K , the other two who 

had been arrested with us and myself) re- 
solve to remain together if possible. Pos- 
sibly we should be able to extract a measure 
of comfort from our own company, and the 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

fact that K spoke German fluently was a 

distinct advantage. 

Reaching Barrack 5, which was assigned 
to us, we moved into one of the vacant horse 
boxes. It reeked with the pungent aroma 
incidental to a stable, and fresh manure was 
still clinging to the walls — we heard that its 
legitimate owner had only been withdrawn 
a short time previously — but we unanimous- 
ly voted it to be preferable to the confined 
space overhead. We threw down our be- 
longings and were about to make ourselves 
comfortable when another party of prisoners 
bustled up and deposited their baggage ex- 
plaining that this particular horse box had 
been assigned to them. 

Our jaws dropped. We cleared out with 
the best grace we could muster, made in- 
quiries, and learned that prisoners flush of 
funds benefited at the expense of their 
poorer brethren. The sites were sold as if 
they were freeholds, and we discovered that 
in some instances as much as £5 had been 
paid for a horse box. This sale of living 
quarters created intense discontent, espe- 
cially when we learned that the transactions 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

represented a good round sum all told. Also 
we had a very shrewd suspicion as to who 
profited by the practice. This is one of the 
issues that the more aggressive prisoners 
took up in grim earnest, and at a later date 
when things had been straightened out, such 
penalizing of the less fortunate prisoners 
was sternly suppressed. But in the early 
days such methods were common. 

Ejected from the horse box we wound our 
way up a creaking ramshackle staircase 
which threatened to give way under our 
weight. We blundered through the narrow 
door and then pulled up dead. The interior 
was as black and forbidding as a coal hole. 
It was some minutes before our eyes grew 
accustomed to the darkness, and then we 
descried upon the floor a seething, misshapen 
mass of humanity, tumbling and jostling 
restlessly for elbow room in which to settle 
down. 

The loft was some 70 yards long by 9 
yards wide, and divided into two sections. 
The Voof sloped sharply, bringing the space 
between the floor and the rafters to between 
3 feet, 6 inches, and 4 feet, 6 inches at the 

23 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

walls, while in the center it was about 7 
feet. Down the middle of the space ran a 
gangway 4 feet wide. The beds, or rather 
the spaces alloted for sleeping, were set 
transversely on either side of the gangway, 
two feet to a man, with head against the 
wall. The result was that each occupant 
had to crawl into the central gangway to 
dress and undress because he dared not rise 
in his bed unless he wished to crack his head 
against the roof. 

There was no ventilation whatever; air 
struggled through holes in the roof and 
cracks in the walls, but as the draughts 
caused one's hair to stand on end these in- 
terstices were promptly chinked with paper. 
The floor was of stone and at that time of 
the year as cold as ice. No heating appara- 
tus had been installed; this came later upon 
the urgent recommendation of the Ameri- 
can Ambassador. 

We strove to force our way into the loft 
but had to give it up. The prisoners already 
in possession were huddled together in a vain 
attempt to profit by the warmth radiated 
from one another's bodies. All were spent 

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from the twenty hours' trip in the train, and 
they had discarded theii baggage pell-mell; 
to move was to invite a vicious kick from one 
who had been trampled on, or collision with 
a rafter. We cast around and found only 
one eligible spot "to let," capable of receiv- 
ing four men. This we squatted upon, but 
soon discovered why these few feet of space 
had failed to claim an owner. They were too 
near the door and the wind whistled through 
with the ferocity of a tornado. 

After we had finally secured our quarters 
we were commanded to fetch an armful of 
straw and scatter it loosely upon the floor. 
This was our couch. The quantity served 
out was so meager as to offer no comfort 
when reclining, while it was not of sufficient 
thickness to prevent the cold from the stone 
striking through to our bodies. Later, when 
the American Ambassador inspected our 
quarters and detected the rudeness of our 
shake-down we were given boards, placed an 
inch or two above the floor, to serve as beds ; 
but until then, we had to make ourselves as 
comfortable as we could by snuggling down 
into the straw like pigs in a sty and packing 

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closely together for warmth. Even then, we 
dared not remove our garments, and, in my 
case, three months elapsed before I shed my 
clothes for a night's rest. 

How we passed the first night it is impos- 
sible to relate. The inky blackness of the 
loft prevented one from moving, once he had 
secured his quarters. The silence of the 
night was broken by the groans, mumblings 
and sobbings of the distraught prisoners, 
dreaming of home or lying awake, too cold 
to sleep, and ruminating on their unfortu- 
nate plight. Owing to the absence of ven- 
tilation and the cramped quarters — 400 of us 
stowed within this confined space — the con- 
dition of the atmosphere within the loft must 
be left to the imagination. It was stagnant 
and fetid to a degree that cannot be des- 
cribed. When we awoke in the morning our 
mouths were distended and as dry as tinder. 
When at last one did persuade the saliva to 
perform its functions the palate revolted. 
The members of the party to which I be- 
longed dreaded the effects of the repulsive 
atmosphere, and our first care upon awaking 
was to flush our mouths with permanganate 

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of potash, of which we had a small stock. 

I was tossing and struggling fitfully when 
there came the clank of heavily shod feet. 
A raucous voice bawled: 

"Get up! Get up!" 

It was the guard. We woke and en- 
deavored to pierce the blackness, wondering 
what was the matter and thinking it only 
midnight, but to our surprise learned that it 
was six o'clock, at which hour all prisoners 
had to tumble out. 

With an effort we struggled to our feet 
and bestirred ourselves to perform our morn- 
ing ablutions. We asked the guard for 
water, but that was like worrying a hitching 
post for information. Finally, someone 
alighted upon two taps in the alleyway be- 
tween the horse boxes downstairs. There 
was a mad rush towards these taps, but the 
struggling crowd could not all wash at once, 
so we formed in a long line to wait our turns. 
When it is remembered that 400 men desired 
to perform this essential operation, the for- 
midable length of the line may be imagined, 
and as we were due to parade within thirty 
minutes, the task had to be performed very 

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perfunctorily. In fact, since German system 
waits for nothing, parade was often called 
before many of the men succeeded in getting 
within arm's reach of the tap, and these had 
to dispense with washing altogether. 

And what a wash for those who were suc- 
cessful! The water was icy, and German 
hygiene did not go to the extent of providing 
soap. It was apparently an unknown luxury. 
During my entire stay at Ruhleben the au- 
thorities never provided anyone with a single 
cake of soap. We had to buy what we 
wanted in this line from the canteen, and we 
were mulcted heavily for an article which 
was soap in name only. Towels were an- 
other item concerning which the Germans 
entertained very primitive ideas. A few 
coarse towels, more reminiscent of canvas 
than anything else, were distributed among 
400 men. Fortunately, the majority of us 
were equipped with our own conveniences in 
this respect and we clung to them tena- 
ciously. 

As it was impossible for all of us to have 
a wash in the short period allowed between 
reveille and the summons to parade, the more 

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enterprising tried the experiment of rising 
earlier. But this effort was misplaced and 
resulted in a commotion. The noise awoke 
those accommodated in the horse boxes and 
they voiced a vigorous protest. Ill-feeling 
arose and caused the authorities to intervene, 
with the result that no one was permitted 
to steal a wash before the official hour for 
rising — that is, unless he were so stealthy 
as to do it without arousing his comrades 
in the horse boxes. 

We paraded in the chilly dawn and then 
were marched to the kitchen for our break- 
fast. In those days the Germans were ap- 
prehensive that the more daring of us might 
make a bold dash for liberty, and to check 
this they counted us at every turn. Woe be- 
tide us if the roll-call were incomplete be- 
cause of some laggard. Then we were kept 
waiting in the cold while a spirited search 
was conducted for the missing prisoner. 

We received a further shock upon this first 
parade to breakfast. German system re- 
vealed another shortcoming. There was an 
insufficient number of bowls to go round, so 
the guard raked out a few repulsive tins to 



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remedy the deficiency. At a later date they 
provided us with white earthenware basins, 
and ordered us to take every care of them. 
If we broke these utensils we were fined 40 
pfennigs a replacement, and were solemnly 
warned to surrender them before we left the 
camp. So far as I personally am concerned 
I am indebted to the German Government to 
the value of one basin, flung at a practical 
joker's head. 

We formed a dejected procession slouch- 
ing through the mud and slush to the kitch- 
en, half a mile away. When we reached it 
we were halted and forced to wait until an- 
other barrack, already lined up, had been 
served. It was not until each of those 400 men 
had received his portion that we could ap- 
proach. As only one man was served at a time 
as he filed by, some idea of the delay we en- 
countered may be conceived. The facilities 
provided at the kitchen were totally inade- 
quate for our needs. There were, for ex- 
ample, only three boilers. 

As we filed by, the chef ladled us a spoon- 
ful of repulsive, black, acorn coflFee without 
milk or sugar. That was all. We were only 

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given a loaf of black bread every other day, 
and that had to last through six meals. The 
bread itself was abominable, even from the 
earliest days. We often discussed its com- 
position and the number, as well as the 
variety, of ingredients involved in its prepa- 
ration, but we never succeeded in fathoming 
the riddle to our satisfaction. A loaf was 
certainly a surprise packet. 

We were not furnished with even the fore- 
going bead ration for long. It was reduced 
to about one-sixth of a loaf per man per 
day. 

After receiving the coffee, some of the 
prisoners hurried back to the barrack to drink 
it under cover; while others braved the cut- 
ting wind and squatted upon the seats of the 
grandstand to drink it while still hot. This 
finished, we either lounged around the cor- 
ners exchanging experiences and speculating 
upon the future, or busied ourselves in our 
quarters in an heroic effort to kill time. 

At twelve o'clock we were again lined up, 
this time for our midday meal, which was 
served between 11 :45 and 12:45. Each man 
proceeded with his basin tucked under his 

3^ 



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arm and his portion of bread clutched in one 
hand. We were given about twelve ounces 
of soup which in the early days, while cer- 
tainly deficient in quality, was yet palatable. 
Pea soup was the favorite, garnished on rare 
occasions with microscopical shreds of meat 
and pieces of bone. 

The afternoon was whiled away after the 
manner of the morni'ng. Killing time in 
those first days constituted the most depress- 
ing feature of our existence. It was im- 
possible to indulge in a brisk walk, as we 
were herded too closely together, while the 
surface of the ground was churned into a 
sea of mud and slush by 4,000 pairs of feet. 
Some of us finally decided to indulge in 
games, only to be confronted with a dis- 
couraging lack of materials. Determined to 
enjoy a little diversion we hunted up a few 
rags and some odd lengths of string, and 
from these contrived a primitive rag ball 
and let ourselves go at rounders with the 
ardor of schoolboys. This was the first di- 
version introduced into the camp and it 
proved a great success, becoming increas- 
ingly popular when, by some manner of 

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means, a prisoner succeeded in getting a rub- 
ber ball from Berlin. It was not until later 
that we were able to indulge in football, 
though we relieved the monotony of our 
rounders game by kicking the rag ball. 

In this way we passed the afternoon until 
five o^clock came round. Again we had to 
line up to proceed to the kitchen for our 
evening meal. This was rnerely a repetition 
of the morning, namely, a ladleful of acorn 
coffee, without milk and sugar, which, with 
a small piece of black bread, constituted our 
"stayer" until the next morning. This was 
the menu day after day. It never varied ex- 
cept for an indifferent ringing of the changes 
upon the soup and the circumstance that, as 
time went on, the quantity diminished while 
the quality deteriorated. Not a very nour- 
ishing diet one will admit, and certainly not 
one designed to keep us in the best of spirits. 
But seeing that we were merely ^^Schweine- 
hund Englander'^ it did not matter. 

I have already mentioned that our quar- 
ters were devoid of all ventilation, even dur- 
ing the day. We certainly kept the entrance 
door open as much as we dared, but it was of 

33 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

little avail, inasmuch as it was impossible to 
establish a circulation of air. The result was 
that the atmosphere within the loft became 
stagnant and grew more nauseating and re- 
volting as the respirations and exhalations 
from the bodies of 400 men became associ- 
ated with the pungent aroma arising from 
stale soup, which some of the prisoners har- 
bored in their quarters and with foul 
stenches ascending from the straw. Add to 
this the mud and filth brought in from out- 
side and the wonder is that disease did not 
secure a foothold among us. It was only 
by unremitting attention upon our own part 
that such a calamity was averted. 

The winter evenings dragged wearily. 
The only light permitted in the loft was a 
small oil lamp — in the early days not even 
this — which threw fitful flickerings over the 
gloomy cavern and cast ghostly shadows up- 
on the roof. 

At nine o'clock came the curt order, ''lights 
out." We were forced to settle down upon 
the thinly covered stone floor, lying face to 
face and huddled closely together to keep 
warm. Very few could sleep until utterly ex- 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

hausted. Curses, sobs and moanings about 
home and those who were waiting, became 
more and more distressing as the night went 
on. One dreaded the coming of darkness 
and when it came, longingly sighed for the 
dawn. 



25 



CHAPTER III. 

THE CITIZENS OF RUHLEBEN 

At the time I was interned at Ruhleben, 
the camp was under military control, and 
a very unpleasant condition of affairs pre- 
vailed, the soldiers asserting their authority 
at every opportunity. Later, supervision 
was transferred to civil administration, a 
change that brought some relief. 

The responsible governor of the camp was 
Graf Scherein, an old soldier. So far as he 
personally was concerned we could lodge no 
complaint, for he was as sympathetic as he 
dared to be, and certainly did not belong to 
the dominant Gott-strafe-England party. 
He frequently visited us, always accom- 
panied by a lady who was equally solicitous 
in regard to our welfare. I have not the 
slightest doubt but ihat he would have alle- 
viated our condition had it been left to his 

36 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

discretion, but he was greatly hampered by 
official regulations. On one occasion, consid- 
ering the midday dole of soup to be an out- 
rage, I ferreted him out and showed him the 
liquid in support of my complaint. He tasted 
it and went at once to the kitchen to order 
that it be improved, which it was. But we 
could have raised a legitimate complaint 
every day, and so at last we grew tired of 
enlisting the governor's intercession on our 
behalf. 

Graf Scherein was passionately fond of 
music. When we got the camp going and 
introduced concerts and theatrical perfor- 
mances he invariably came and often brought 
friends with him. He would listen intently, 
applaud and compliment us upon our efforts 
to lighten life in the camp. 

Unfortunately for us, he was too old to 
pursue his task actively ; and the greater part 
of the many and complex duties were as- 
sumed by a younger man. Baron von Taube. 

Among the minor officers was the chief 
censor, who filled a difficult position with 
much success. He was always ready to do 
his utmost for us; and if we were in doubt 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

as to whether a certain communication were 
advisable, he would willingly help us and 
stretch a point in our favor. Not that it 
always succeeded, for we discovered from 
experience that many letters which met with 
his approval were subsequently suppressed by 
some one else in Berlin. Unfortunately, his 
superiors resented his sympathetic attitude 
and finally removed him from office. Then, 
there was the chief of the guard, and last, 
but by no means least, the official doctor at- 
tached to the camp, of whom I shall have 
something to say in a later chapter. 

Each barrack was presided over by a non- 
commissioned officer and a private, who 
were accommodated in two rooms between 
horse boxes on the ground floor. These men 
were held responsible for the conduct of each 
building; and owing to this under-guard be- 
ing frequently changed we were kept in a 
condition of constant uneasiness. While 
some of the warders were disposed to be leni- 
ent and to wink at this or that, refraining 
from interfering until necessity compelled, 
others were martinets, watched us vigilantly 
and swooped down at the slightest departure 



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from rules and regulations. The private 
was often the butt of his officer's ill humor 
and he promptly visited his revenge upon us. 
One private I shall never forget, an ignorant 
country yokel v^ho could not even count. 

As may be imagined, v;^e were an ex- 
tremely cosmopolitan crowd, drawn from 
every conceivable strata of the social scale. 
Only in two instances might the barracks 
be called homogeneous, and even in these 
cases there was a mixture of classes. Bar- 
rack 6 was known as the "Jews' Barrack," 
and Barrack 8 was tenanted for the most 
part by sailors taken from the British ships 
detained in German harbors. The remaining 
barracks — eleven in all with an additional 
teahouse, provided for our accommodation 
originally and their number increased later — 
were inhabited by a mixed assembly. 

Naturally the citizens of the camp soon 
fell into groups according to tastes, temper- 
ament or social position. Our particular 
coterie was increased from four to six by the 
addition of two young fellows of about 
eighteen years of age, one from Hunstanton, 
the ether the son of a prominent business 

39 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

man of London. Subsequently, our party 
became reduced to five, as one of the number 
became so unpopular that he was drummed 
out. Strange human sights may be seen in 
every city of the v^orld, but I do not think 
any could compare with those presented 
during those dismal days in Ruhleben camp. 
We were given the use of a small stretch of 
ground facing the grand stand, and this 
speedily developed into the promenade, or, as 
it was facetiously styled, the "Row." Every 
morning, between the hours of ten and 
twelve, it was the place where the rank and 
fashion of Ruhleben might be seen in full 
plumage. 

What a parade it was! Down-at-heel, 
ragged Erbert, his face concealed beneath a 
mangy looking accumulation of hair, rubbed 
elbows with d'x\rcy, who was still striving 
desperately to create a sensation with his 
immaculate morning coat, corduroy trousers 
tied under the knee, and patent boots, rather 
the worse for wear but still clinging to his 
feet owing to a liberal use of string. Others 
were coatless and shuffled along on impro- 
vised clogs. 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

One of our number aroused special atten- 
tion. Rumor declared him a member of the 
British aristocracy but in the early days at 
Ruhleben it was difficult to deduce the stand- 
ing of a man from his appearance. Intern- 
ment is a mighty leveller. The cockney who 
had done time was hardly distinguishable 
from a **knut'* of the first water. But there 
was something about this prisoner that par- 
ticularly demanded respect. While he min- 
gled freely among the others, he seemed 
sadly out of harmony with the strange sur- 
roundings. His clothes still preserved their 
Bond Street cut, and his speech and manner- 
isms their aristocratic flavor; but the feature 
that attracted the greatest measure of ad- 
miration was his monocle. He was generally 
admired for his personal character and 
sportsmanship, and although his bearing and 
voice were mimicked mercilessly it was with 
the utmost good nature and no one seemed 
to enjoy the banter more than himself. The 
few occasions when he presented himself in 
line at the kitchen with his basin under his 
arm and his black bread in one hand, his 
presence was the signal for good-humored 

41 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

hilarity and he was irreverantly "chi-iked." 
But he took it all in a spirit that commanded 
respect and invariably retorted with a broad 
smile : 

"D'you know, old fellah, I really don't care 
a tuppney damn! I think it's rippin' fun!" 
accentuating the drawl to enhance the effect. 

He acted as though he really did enjoy the 
unusual experience, and this contributed to 
his popularity. He accepted the banter in 
the spirit in which it was given — namely, 
something out of the ordinary, indulged in to 
sustain our esprit de corps — and he was al- 
ways ready to extend practical assistance 
to anyone in difficulty, as long as it was not 
noised abroad. He carefully avoided pub- 
licity and did an immense amount of good 
by stealth. 

The sequel was rather interesting. Some 
months after my return from Germany I 
received a letter from a country seat near 
Newcastle in which the writer expressed his 
keen interest in the return of British pris- 
oners interned in Germany, and invited me 
to his home to discuss the subject from a 
prisoners' point of view. 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

I accepted the invitation. Conceive my 
surprise v^^hen I discovered the man so deeply 
interested in the welfare of our compatriots 
at Ruhleben — the ruling member of an old- 
established, north of England family— was 
the quondam prisoner who had provided us 
with so much amusement and who had al- 
ways been ready to assist those in distressed 
circumstances. My surprise, however, can 
readily be explained — in the camp, names 
were meaningless. Sir Timothy Eden had 
been released some months after myself; and 
since his return home he has labored inde- 
fatigably in behalf of those whom he had to 
leave behind, and whose lot has become ap- 
preciably hardened by the straits in which 
the Germans find themselves as a result of 
the British blockade. 

In the very beginning the camp divided 
itself into three broad groups: The Opti- 
mists, the Pessimists, and the Rumorists, the 
two first were constantly involved in lively 
arguments. The Optimists certanily re- 
garded the situation through rose-colored 
glasses, and for a long time refused to be- 
lieve that our detention was more than tem- 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

porary. The Pessimists were every bit as em- 
phatic that all was up ; that they would never 
see their homes again; that they were all 
doomed to be shot down in the last extremity 
— in short, that they might just as well be 
dead as alive; about as welcome company as 
a man with measles. 

But the Rumorists were the hete noir of 
the camp. A rigid censorship tends to give 
Mother Gossip plenty of rope in a crowded 
city, but never did she have such a fine time 
as in the camp at Ruhleben. Her chatter 
flew hither and thither as thickly as leaves in 
an autumn wind; no sooner was one story 
scotched than half a dozen equally wild took 
its place. At last things reached such a pass, 
that the more level-headed members of the 
community took the situation in hand and 
dealt with the worst offenders in a drastic 
and effective manner. 

Among those who had been summarily 
coralled and drafted to this internment camp 
were one or two personalities who com- 
manded more than passing attention. One 
was a London bartender, a typical cockney. 
He contracted the wanderlust while serving 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

in his uneventful profession of drawing mugs 
of four ale down East End way, and made up 
his mind to see Germany or die. Thereupon 
investing his capital of twelve shillings in a 
safety bicycle and with nothing else beyond 
an abundance of nerve, he struck the Conti- 
nent. He spent his time among the first- 
class hotels and evidently impressed the Teu- 
tonic Boniface fraternity with the romance 
of his intentions, for he was armed with a 
press album in which were sedulously pasted 
all the newspaper comments on his trip, and 
at each hotel he had prevailed upon the pro- 
prietor to attach his signature and the in- 
signia of his hostelry to this album. He was 
traveling in high style in this inexpensive 
manner when war came and he arrived in due 
course of time at Ruhleben in company with 
his trusty steed, the latter the object of es- 
pecial interest. Incidentally, the "twelve 
bob bike*' provided the prisoners with a good 
deal of amusement, as the owner willingly 
hired it out for a consideration. I should im- 
agine from the rush that ensued for the 
bicycle that its owner speedily recouped his 
original outlay. He further improved the 

45 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

shining hour by permitting all who felt so 
disposed to peruse his album at a penny a 
time. 

Another individual earned the sobriquet 
of "Peanuts" by an outburst of enterprise. 
He was a darky from Sierra Leone who in- 
vested his capital in nuts and hawked them 
from barrack to barrack. Two other darkies 
who furnished the camp with infinite enter- 
tainment were Dick and Joe. One had been 
making a living by dubious means in Berlin 
and was the most unblushing liar I have ever 
met. His fun and love of practical joking, 
even when it turned against himself, ren- 
dered him a favorite. 

The list of prisoners also included a well 
known golfer, two eminent football players, 
a popular athletic trainer, and an accom- 
plished Australian violinist, whose talent 
whiled away many an hour and was an un- 
failing attraction even to the Germans. 

Here and there the advantage of having a 
friend at court in powerful German circles 
was brought home to us vividly. Among the 
prisoners was an athletic trainer who was a 
protege of the King of Wurtemberg. He 

46 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

was persuaded to change his national coat and 
was thereupon released after a stay in camp 
of only a few hours. One or two other prom- 
inent members of Berlin society were sim- 
ilarly tempted but resolutely refused to buy 
freedom at such a price and accordingly are 
still imprisoned at the camp. 

Among the 4,000 odd prisoners was a small 
party that aroused universal pity. It com- 
prised two Russian women, of about thirty 
and thirty-five years of age, with three 
young children. They were the only women 
in the camp and they felt sadly out of place 
among such an overwhelming masculine 
population. But every man considered it his 
duty to mount watch and ward over these 
unhappy women, and they were given a 
small room partitioned off from the re- 
mainder of the horse boxes. The children 
were very young, one scarcely able to walk. 

The fact that these women and two of the 
children had to present themselves at the 
kitchen along with us for their meals was a 
matter of deep concern to everyone. I re- 
call one morning in particular. The ground 
was covered with snow and slush ; the moon 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

still shining brightly; the air cold and biting. 
As we rounded a bend in the road, we saw 
ahead of us silhouetted sharply against the 
sky, the forms of the two shivering women, 
two children, a hunchback and an old man 
with a wooden leg, trudging laboriously 
kitchenwards. It was such a pitiable sight 
that we involuntarily burst into derisive 
laughter and taunted the guards for in- 
terning such harmless creatures as these. 
A few minutes later our merriment was 
abruptly and completely silenced. When the 
women reached the kitchen they discovered 
that they had forgotten a basin. Instead of 
the chef giving a double portion to the 
women to divide among the children, he curt- 
ly ordered them to go back and fetch it. The 
poor things were shivering with cold and the 
children were crying pitiably. The two 
women looked pleadingly at the chef, but 
they might just as well have tried to soften 
the Sphinx. Back they had to wearily trudge 
to fetch the missing basin. When they re- 
turned they were vehemently berated for 
tardiness and threatened with dire penalties 
if such a breach of regulations occurred 

48 



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again. There was not a man among us who 
would not have cheerfully given them his 
portion had he dared. Some time later they 
were transferred to another camp, placed we 
hoped, in more congenial surroundings and 
treated more considerately. 

One note of tragedy was sounded. Shortly 
after my arrival, two Belgian civil prisoners 
were brought in, who had been arrested in 
a town ravaged during the German advance. 
Hearing that one of them could narrate a 
vivid tale concerning German atrocities, I 
ferreted him out and we had a long conver- 
sation. He told such a revolting story of 
rapine and bloodshed as would be difficult to 
parallel. Indeed, the details of the atrocities 
which he himself had seen and heard were 
so incredible that I carefully committed them 
to paper and suggested that he put his name 
to the statement. He was perfectly willing, 
but said that no pen could do justice to the 
rape, torture, mutilation and murder meted 
out to his compatriots by the German 
soldiery. 

When I submitted the statement to him he 
ran through it and urged me to make certain 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

alterations before he attached his signature 
as he was determined to be exact even to the 
most minute details. I could not undertake 
the revision just then, as this sort of work 
had to be carried on surreptitiously in the se- 
clusion of one's quarters. To have been 
caught with any notes in one's possession 
would have meant heavy punishment. As 
soon, however, as I had made the alterations, 
I endeavored to find him again, but without 
success. His companion stated that his 
guard had suddenly turned him out of his 
barrack and handed him over to an imposing 
military escort and that they had left the 
camp. Where he had gone, no one knew. I 
was keenly disappointed at being deprived 
of what would have been most damning evi- 
dence of German brutalities in Belgium, but 
the misfortune could not be remedied, and in 
the course of a few days the man was for- 
gotten. ' 

There was a sequel however, which un- 
nerved all of us who had listened to the Bel- 
gian's story. One morning his colleague, 
who was still with ns, received a small par- 
cel of comforts. While unwrapping the con- 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

tents his attention was caught by a small 
paragraph in a fragment of newspaper, to 
the effect that Mrs. (the wife of our former 
fellow-prisoner), wished to extend her grate- 
ful thanks to the friends who had sent floral 
tributes in memory of her husband, killed by 
the Germans. The fragment containing this 
was torn from one of the Belgian newspapers 
whose hidden source of publication had not 
yet been discovered. The remiaining Bel- 
gian, terrified at the news thus accidentally 
gleaned, resolutely refused to speak any fur- 
ther concerning the atrocities, fearing that 
he might share the other's fate. It was not 
until later we heard that the Germans, act- 
ing upon the precept that dead men tell no 
tales and evidently regarding this unfor- 
tunate man as dangerous, had taken him 
back to the town in which he had been ar- 
rested and in which he had witnessed the 
atrocities in question, and had there sub- 
jected him to a farcical trial that ended in his 
death sentence. How he was executed we 
never knew, but the incident was sufficiently 
terrifying to make ns more careful concern- 
ing our conversation in the camp. 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

One or two of our fellow prisoners afforded 
us a good deal of amui-ement. There was 
one who felt his position keenly and stead- 
fastly refrained from making the best of 
things. He was rarely seen, preferring the 
seclusion of his barrack quarters to the so- 
ciety of his fellow-prisoners; and when he 
did venture among us, walked to and fro 
with his hands clasped behind him and his 
eyes glued to the ground. He scarcely ever 
ventured a word. His barrack comrades 
told us that he spent the day writing poetry 
and committing it to memory, carefully tear- 
ing the fragments of paper into tiny pieces 
before retiring at night, evidently in fear 
that their discovery upon his person might 
incriminate him and bring further misfor- 
tune upon his head. His comrades did not 
appreciate his lyrics; they were far from 
feeling romantic under the depressing condi- 
tions. 

Whenever we had the opportunity to sing 
we did so with gusto. Some of the prisoners 
possessed excellent voices, and it was this 
gift which subsequently brought about the 
formation of glee singing, choral and other 

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musical parties. In the early days we amused 
ourselves with improvised concerts, and 
when we got seriously at work the guards 
used to stand around us listening intently 
and watching with their mouths agape. It 
was something which they could not under- 
stand, and at times the more inquisitive 
would ask how it was that we could enjoy 
ourselves so wholeheartedly when we were 
languishing in prison. 

This penchant for singing culminated in an 
interesting development. One day the words 
of a new song, set to a catchy air, were cir- 
culated about the camp. Within a very 
short time the air was being hummed, 
whistled and sung throughout the com- 
munity; it spread like magic. A little later 
the words caught the popular fancy, the 
swinging chorus being particularly liked ; in- 
deed, its popularity became so great that it 
was roared forth upon every occasion. It 
only wanted one man to start it ; the words 
would be taken up instantly by everyone 
within earshot, to penetrate the entire camp 
within a few seconds. We dubbed this air 
the ''National Anthem of Ruhleben,'* and I 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

do not think it will be forgotten by any one 
of the prisoners no matter how long he may 
live. The general impression prevailed that 
the song was a local creation, but afterwards 
I discovered that the music belonged to a 
popular music-hall ditty at home that had 
somehow or other found its way to Ruhle- 
ben. Then, one of the boys, considering the 
original words capable of improvement to 
meet the local situation, had promptly set 
to work and the following was his contri- 
bution: 

Oh ! We're roused up in the morning, 
When the day is gently dawning. 

And we're put to bed before the night's 
" begun ; 
And for weeks and weeks on end, 
We have never seen a friend, 

And we've lost the job our energy has 

won. 

Yes ! We've waited in the frost 
For a parcel that got lost 

Or a letter that the postmen never bring. 
And it isn't beer and skittles, 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

Doing work on scanty victuals, 

Yet every man can still get up and sing : 

Refrain 

Line up, boys, and sing the chorus ; 

Shout the chorus all you can; 

We w^ant the people there, 

To hear in Leicester Square, 

That v^e're the boys who never get down- 
hearted. 

Back, back, back again in England, 

Then we'll fill a flowing cup. 

And tell them clear and loud, of the Ruhle- 
ben crowd 

That always kept their pecker up. 

Although our existence at Ruhleben 
seemed altogether aimless, and we certainly 
found it hard to pass the tedious hours, a 
certain amount of diversion was contributed 
from outside. Just across the Spree were the 
testing grounds of Spandau. The hours of 
daylight and darkness were punctuated by 
the booming of heavy cannon undergoing 
their exhaustive trials before dispatch to the 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY. 

battle line, while above the sonorous boom 
of the big guns rose the shriller and nerve- 
racking tat-a-tat-tat of the machine guns. 

The chorus v^ras sv^relled by the crash, 
thump, and clatter of the heavily laden muni- 
tion trains that dashed ceaselessly to and fro 
along the railway within a stone's throw of 
the camp, and this thunder seriously dis- 
turbed our rest at night until we became so 
familiar therewith as to ignore it. Unre- 
hearsed displays of fireworks were our even- 
ing treat. Star shells, brilliantly colored 
lights, and scintillating magnesium flares, 
also under test, rose from the cluster of drab 
buildings and gaunt chimneys of Spandau, 
lighting the vicinity with the brilliance of 
noonday. At times, when work at the fac- 
tories was particularly brisk, these displays 
were truly elaborate. Although we were far 
from the firing line, we were able, from what 
we saw and heard of the preparations at 
Spandau, to form a vivid impression of what 
life must be upon the Western Front. 

During the day, Zeppelins sailed over our 
heads, and we follow^ed their rftovements with 
vigorous discussion as to the precise role 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

they were playing in the war. Taubes, alba- 
trosses, and aeroplanes of numerous types, 
also wheeled and doubled above us. We 
watched these war machines of the air in 
silence until one day one of the taubes, prov- 
ing refractory, came crashing to earth. It 
was heartless, perhaps, and yet we could not 
repress our exaltation at the thought that 
our comrades in the battle-line would be 
troubled by one less enemy in the air. 



57 



CHAPTER IV. 
THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH 

The apathy of the German authorities in 
all matters concerning our welfare never 
struck us so forcibly as on Sundays. While 
there were not many saints in the internment 
camp we sorely missed church upon the Sab- 
bath. All days of the week came alike to us, 
and this unvarying m,onotony soon began to 
pall and affect our nerves as well as our 
spirits. 

One evening about half a dozen of the 
more enterprising braved the biting wind and 
gathered in the dark, forbidding shadows of 
the grandstand, to discuss the establishment 
of some form of Divine Worship. One young 
fellow was particularly keen upon the pro- 
ject, maintaining that by this means we 
should be able to shake off our periodical fits 
of depression. By this time the camp had 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

become sorely dejected. Freedom seemed so 
remote. 

The proposal was accepted with avidity; 
and then and there the movement was 
started by the singing of a hymn. Some of 
us were doubtful as to the precise effect that 
such action would have, for we were begin- 
ning to think that even the Almighty had 
abandoned us, but we were pleasantly sur- 
prised. Fellow prisoners, ambling and loung- 
ing around, listened intently and some of 
them took up the air and hummed it with us. 

The next service was more enthusiastically 
attended, and the meeting became a trifle 
elaborated by the inclusion of a prayer. 
Within a week or two this was extended into 
a service consisting of a couple of hymns, 
two or three short prayers, and a brief ser- 
mon. Those who had launched the enter- 
prise were more than gratified at the results 
achieved, for each successive service at- 
tracted a larger congregation, and one could 
not help observing the fervor with which 
those who attended sang and how intently 
they listened. The congregation was drawn 
from all social ranks in the camp: horny- 

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handed, weatherbeaten sailors rubbed elbows 
with men who had been dragged from 
flourishing businesses; the wilder spirits, 
whose cursing and invective against our piti- 
able conditions gave scandal to their milder 
brethren, were attracted by the comforting 
influence of even a rudely extemporized dis- 
sertation. 

I doubt whether the Church was ever 
planted in more unpromising ground than 
that offered by Ruhleben camp in those days. 
The first service was one of the strangest I 
have attended. The wind swept the grand- 
stand from end to end, causing teeth to chat- 
ter and feet to be numbed into nothingness. 
For the early services we were compelled to 
gather in the darkness, but the hymns were 
led by a singer whose voice would have re- 
flected credit on any cathedral choir. Owing to 
the inky blackness of the night we had to de- 
pend upon our hearing faculties entirely. Yet 
there was something decidedly cheering 
about those unconventional meetings that 
baffles description. At first the congregation 
for the most part, smoked vigorously, but as 
time went on, they gradually refrained. 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

When we first set the enterprise going we 
all feared that its existence would be ex- 
tremely brief. So many schemes, many of 
brilliant promise, had been launched in rapid 
succession, but none had had more than a 
fleeting vogue. Directly a new project lost 
its touch of novelty it was abandoned. The 
Church proved the one exception to the rule 
and thrived and grew amazingly. Before it 
was many weeks old, we were able to secure 
the friendly glimmer of a little oil lamp, 
while a harmonium came into the camp from 
some source or other, expressly for the use of 
the Church. 

When I saw that the Church had come to 
stay, I wrote to my vicar at home and asked 
him to send us some hymnbooks, bibles and 
prayer books. We needed them badly for 
the hymns had to be written out by hand for 
distribution, a task not only tedious but diffi- 
cult under the conditions prevailing. Still, the 
work was willingly performed by the enthu- 
siasts. Even the penning of hymns upon 
odds and ends of paper afforded employment 
for otherwise idle hands. The prayers were 
for the most part extemporized, and this 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

constituted another drawback, for memory 
proved a fickle reed upon which to lean. I 
subsequently learned that my appeal reached 
home and the books were sent though they 
never reached us. Greater success attended 
later efforts; my wife sent me one hundred 
and fifty Testaments which were distributed 
among the "darkies." Contributions from 
various sources came to hand and the Church 
made rapid strides. 

The duties of shepherd to the flock at Ruh- 
leben were fulfilled so far as the Church of 
England was concerned — this was the first 
sect to essay the enterprise — by one of our 
members. He was not ordained, but he 
proved an excellent leader, was a fluent 
speaker and generally popular. Among the 
prisoners was a young fellow under training 
for missionary work and he also gave valu- 
able assistance. 

As the gatherings grew in popularity and 
began to be regarded an essential factor in 
the life at Ruhleben — the services were held 
every Sunday afternoon at three o'clock — we 
decided to move from the uninviting grand- 
stand to a better center, and arranged to hold 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

our services in a large room under the stand 
that had been rented to serve as a theatre 
and concert hall. Music was furnished by a 
piano hired from a firm in Berlin, v^hile we 
also trained an excellent choir. Once we had 
secured comfortable quarters we succeeded 
in attracting even greater numbers of the 
prisoners and after a short time, Sunday ser- 
vice became one of the indispensable features 
of camp life. We received a complete array 
of hymnbooks, prayer books. Bibles and 
other incidenta so that before the winter had 
passed we were as completely equipped, at 
least with all that was needful, as any 
Church at home. 

The singing speedily became a subject of 
admiration in the camp, not only among the 
prisoners but the German military officials 
as well. Many possessed fine voices, and 
under the careful training of a few w^ho had 
achieved a certain success in the musical 
world, solo, part and choral singing attained 
an established reputation. It was curious to 
see the crowded congregation following and 
taking part in the service, while outside an- 
other and equally impressive gathering, com- 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

posed of the military guard and officers, was 
assembled to listen to the music. 

It certainly was a thrilling experience to 
hear more than five hundred men singing 
with all their hearts. The favorite hymns 
were "Abide With Me," "At Even Ere the 
Sun Was Set," and another, the final line of 
which runs, "Give Peace, O Lord ! Give Peace 
again!" These words were roared forth 
with all the enthusiasm we could muster. 
Occasionally, "Onward Christian Soldiers" 
figured in the list, but we refrained from pre- 
senting it too often, because the swinging 
tune was rendered so lustily that we feared 
the authorities might interfere, under the 
impression that it was some national war 
song, a sign of defiance to our enemies. 

When those of the Church of England had 
demonstrated conclusively that it was pos- 
sible to establish a church in the camp, other 
sects followed suit. The Roman Catholic 
Church, highly appreciative of what we 
had accomplished, became friendly rivals, 
through the initiative of an interned priest. 
He secured a tiny room under the grandstand 
which, by some means or other, he com- 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

pletely transformed. He built an altar and 
introduced many of the ritual decorations of 
his denomination, and aroused widespread 
appreciation that culminated in the presenta- 
tion of a magnificent image of the Virgin. 
Until this priest was able to complete his 
own especial edifice, he often used to hold a 
service in our church, the two creeds thus 
working hand in hand. 

The Father of the little church was a won- 
derful enthusiast, and every Catholic festival 
was religiously observed. Those of the 
Church of England did likewise, and it may 
seem somewhat extraordinary if not incon- 
gruous, to relate that we even celebrated 
"Harvest Thanksgiving," although those at 
home might wonder for what we could pos- 
sibly render thanks unless for the mere cir- 
cumstance of being alive. 

After the establishment of the Roman 
Catholic Church the Jews also came into line, 
with their own building and traditional ser- 
vices. Their task, however, was rendered 
somewhat easier than that of the others, for 
the Rabbi of Berlin frequently visited the 
camp and took an active part in the work, 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

receiving assistance from co-religionists 
scattered throughout Germany. But it is a 
remarkable circumstance, worthy of record, 
that within a few months, some four or five 
denominations had secured a solid and per- 
manent foothold in the camp, and were all 
working harmoniously together to lighten 
the load of the prisoners. It is impossible to 
overrate the good work they accomplished. 
It was but a short and logical step from the 
regular Sunday service to the inauguration 
of prayer meetings, short weekday services 
and other applications of religious work, 
which not only proved of incalculable benefit 
and imparted a high moral tone to the prison 
city, but which afforded us beneficial em- 
ployment, topics for conversation and reflec- 
tion, and thus a greater manifestation of 
cheerfulness. 

No mention of the work accomplished by 
the Church of England would be complete 
without a tribute to the labor of the Rever- 
end Williams. Through an unusual burst of 
generosity on the part of the Teuton authori- 
ties, he was granted permission to live in 
Berlin and to pass from camp to camp where 

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British prisoners, both civil and military, 
were interned. He held an extremely diffi- 
cult position which he filled in a manner be- 
yond criticism by the German authorities. 
It chafed us at times to think that he com- 
municated nothing as to what was transpir- 
ing in Germany at large, but when we re- 
called the trying conditions under which he 
was discharging his self-imposed duties, and 
the fact that Teuton espionage was watching 
his every movement, ready to swoop down 
at the slightest suspicion, we marveled at his 
tact and discretion. 

He used to visit the camp once a fortnight, 
when he would take charge of the services. 
Then the church would be crowded to suf- 
focation. His sermons were totally free 
from cant, and appreciated because of their 
chatty nature. He refrained from comment 
on our situation, his sole idea being to cheer 
us up. He would drop little tidbits of infor- 
mation concerning the welfare of our com- 
patriots in other camps and how they were 
passing their time, convey to us their good 
wishes and strongly urge us to keep our 
spirits up. At such visits we would crowd 

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around him, hungry for news, but of this he 
could tell us little. He never ventured a 
word concerning the military situation, the 
achievements of the belligerents, or the eco- 
nomic state of affairs in Germany; his con- 
versation was strictly limited to our own 
situation, although he never omitted to voice 
his sympathy for us. 

No member of the cloth ever toiled harder 
than he, nor discharged his trying duties 
more efficiently. His task in Berlin was 
that of looking after the wives and families 
of the prisoners, and while he carefully re- 
frained from acting as courier between the 
separated, he was able to extend the assur- 
ance that all was well without giving the 
slightest offense to the authorities. It was 
mainly through him that we learned how the 
prisoners in the other camps were faring. 
Once or twice, when the necessity arose, we 
made collections to provide our less fortu- 
nate compatriots with comforts, and, on one 
occasion, he brought us a sum of money 
which had been raised on our behalf among 
the prisoners at Doberitz camp. Many ex- 
changes of courtesies were effected through 

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his untiring energy; and it is safe to say that 
no man was so popular or held in such high 
esteem among the prisoners, irrespective of 
religious convictions. 

Without being irreverent I may say there 
was a touch of pathetic even tragic humor, 
in connection with our services. The mem- 
bers of the congregation mustered with their 
food basins and portions of bread. Suddenly 
above the singing would come the tramp of 
feet, muffled at first but rapidly growing 
louder. A barrack was marching to the kitch- 
en for its evening dole. As the procession 
swung by, every member took a hurrifed 
glance over his shoulder to identify the party 
and if a man recognized his barrack he would 
hastily grab his bowl and bread, dart out of 
the building and fall into the rear of the pro- 
cession. Possibly, some devout worshippers 
at home may regret that we placed creature 
before spiritual comfort, but it must be re- 
membered that we were receiving barely 
enough to keep body and soul together; miss- 
ing a meal meant going hungry for hours, 
and we were so penalized that even the de- 
nial of a single meal involved hardships. The 

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men did not scramble hurriedly from the 
House of God from their own choice or in- 
clination, but in obedience to the first law 
of nature, coupled with the unbending rules 
of Prussian organization. 

On one occasion, when one of the prisoners 
died, we hoped that we might be privileged 
to extend him the final religious ceremony 
observed at home. But this was denied. All 
that the authorities would permit — in fact, 
commanded — was filing past the hearse con- 
taining the coffin which we mutely saluted. 
The burial service was held elsewhere, and 
only ten prisoners from Ruhleben were per- 
mitted to follow our late comrade to his last 
resting place. I made an efifort to be in- 
cluded in this party but was unceremoniously 
refused. Evidently the authorities had 
gained an inkling that I was keeping my 
eyes and ears open, because they conveyed to 
me in unmistakable language, their determi- 
nation and so I had to return to the barrack 
to nurse my disappointment. 



70 



CHAPTER V. 

THE MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION 

Owing to our close confinement, lack of 
adequate exercise, the unsanitary condition 
of our quarters, the utter absence of the ru- 
diments of hygiene, and the monotony and 
insufficiency of our food, it is amazing that 
we were not ravaged by an epidemic of some 
sort. Had disease in a virulent form secured 
the slightest foothold, it would have run 
through the community, as a fire rushes 
through a forest leaving devastation in its 
wake. 

Germany may have accomplished wonders 
in the science of therapeutics, and may have 
produced a host of brilliant physicians, but 
both men and methods were sadly missing at 
Ruhleben. The first doctor to be officially 
appointed to the camp did undoubtedly show 

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a humanitarian interest in his charges, but 
this could hardly be said of his successor, Dr. 
Geiger. 

He was a stern advocate of the Prussian 
system. He would visit no one. His sur- 
gery was attached to the Kommandantur^s 
office, and here the patient, no matter how 
ill, had to be brought, and more than this 
the doctor would see no one except at the 
specified hours. 

Dr. Geiger's medical skill soon became the 
subject for much distrust. A terrifying skin 
disorder broke out and attacked everyone 
indiscriminately. It was not only an un- 
sightly but an extremely painful eruption 
that ravaged the face and other exposed por- 
tions of the body. Ugly, inflamed sores 
swelled up and some of the prisoners were 
horribly disfigured. To make matters worse, 
the camp suffered from a plague of mosqui- 
toes during the torrid season when the 
malady was at its height. These insects 
rendered life almost intolerable. To them 
the rash seemed as attractive as the fly to the 
trout. The camp at the time was in a filthy 
condition; refuse — animal and vegetable — 

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abounded, and was exposed to these unwel- 
come visitors, who attacked the garbage and 
ourselves in turn. 

The appearance of this skin irruption and 
the virulence with which it spread, filled 
everyone with terror. We dreaded it as the 
precursor of the one thing we most feared, an 
epidemic. It must be remembered that con- 
ditions were highly favorable to its develop- 
ment. We were penned up like cattle with lit- 
tle space in which to exercise, the racecourse 
at this time being shut off from us by barbed 
wire fencing. Our sleeping quarters had de- 
teriorated into little more than sties, despite 
the so-called improvements that had been 
carried out, mainly as a result of our con- 
tinuous protest and at the instigation of 
the American Embassy where we lodged our 
complaints. We had no soap except what we 
bought ourselves, and as a result those who 
were without money, and they were many, 
had to do without. We were likewise without 
towels, and those who were so fortunate as 
to possess their own had to guard them care- 
fully to prevent their disappearance or uni- 
versal use. How some of the prisoners rudjj- 

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aged to keep themselves clean was more than 
the rest of us could understand. 

For three months after our arrival we 
were also denied the luxury of a bath. One 
or two of the bolder and more hardened 
spirits resorted to the only alternative. They 
stripped, stood in the passageway and sub- 
mitted to having buckets of ice cold water, 
drawn from the taps, thrown over them. In 
the middle of winter, with the mercury in the 
thermometer striving desparately to with- 
draw from sight into its bulb and the north 
wind whistling ferociously, this demanded 
no little pluck. 

Finally this skin rash secured such a strong 
hold that we considered it time to seek 
medical assistance, and forthwith besieged 
the surgery. The estimable doctor appeared 
to be at his wit's end to diagnose and treat 
it effectively; in his opinion there appeared 
to be only one potential remedy — aspirin. 
This drug seemed to constitute the Alpha 
and Omega of his medical knowledge for he 
enlisted its assistance for all of the ills to 
which the flesh is heir. I have been in the 
surgery and seen a man come tottering in, 

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almost delirious with fever. A tablet of as- 
pirin was all he received. Another comrade 
came along suffering from acute diarrhoea. 
Aspirin was again dealt out. A third limped 
in with a sprained foot; and he, too, was 
treated with aspirin. At home we laugh at 
the widely advertised medicines that are 
blazoned as a cure for all ills, but British 
faith in these articles is as nothing compared 
with the Germans' belief in the curative 
properties of the coal-tar derivative, for the 
aspirin treatment, which became one of the 
jokes of Ruhleben, was by no means peculiar 
to this camp. In each of the four prisons 
with which I made an intimate acquaintance, 
aspirin appeared to be the sovereign 
remedy. 

Under such circumstances it is not surpris- 
ing that we came to regard the qualifications 
of the doctor for his responsible post with 
considerable misgiving, and we hated to en- 
trust ourselves to the aspirin quack. What 
measure of relief we received came from an 
unexpected quarter — one of the prisoners, 
who must have studied medicine very thor- 
oughly. When we discovered his ability we 

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placed ourselves in his hands and trusted him 
implicitly. 

This accomplished comrade was untiring 
in his efforts although he had to pursue his 
practice in secret. The prisoners flocked to 
him, or he had to visit them if they were too 
ill. The task was one of extreme difliculty 
as he had to work without arousing the faint- 
est suspicion. It was only the cases he con- 
sidered too serious for secret treatment that 
were referred to the official doctor. But a 
man had to be prostrated with a dangerous 
rnalady before he would consent to call in 
other aid. The result was that our compa- 
triot found himself in constant demand at all 
hours of the day and night. 

Evidently our official representative got 
wind of what was taking place and his pro- 
fessional jealousy was aroused; but he 
either lacked courage to expose the other 
or he was not quite sure of his information, 
for nothing was said by the authorities who 
refrained from interfering any more than 
was necessary. The less work they were oc- 
casioned on behalf of the prisoners the better 
from their point of view. They would never 

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Btek trouble, so that the official, had he 
lodged his complaint, would probably have 
met with little sympathy. 

An interview with this official doctor was 
always amusing. When a patient presented 
himself at the surgery he was curtly re- 
quested to narrate the symptoms of his dis- 
order, the doctor meantime regarding him 
with suspicious eyes. When the patient had 
finished, the doctor would burst out in a kind 
of shriek: 

"Malingerer !" 

This was one of the few English words he 
knew, and he used to delight in enunciating 
it with the rat-a-tat-tat of a machine gun, 
dwelling at length upon each syllable. He 
never believed a prisoner. To him we were 
always shamming. But his use of this word 
caused one real tragedy. A prisoner was suf- 
fering from an advanced heart complaint, 
and one day, feeling particularly ill, he pre- 
sented himself to the doctor. When the pa- 
tient had concluded his case, out came the 
inevitable word. The man, stung to the 
quick by the false accusation, became ex- 
cited, and flew into a fearful rage, which, 

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however, only served to convince the doctor 
of the correctness of his deductions. The 
patient stamped off to his barrack in high 
dudgeon. A few hours later he was found 
dead ; he had succumbed to his affliction. 

On another occasion one of our number 
fell ill, and even our unpractised eyes could 
see that he was being tortured by a raging 
fever. One or two of us went down to the 
surgery to report and we urged the doctor 
to visit the sufferer. But he would not hear 
of it. His surgery was provided for receiv- 
ing patients, and unless they presented them- 
selves there they could not expect to receive 
the fruits of his knowledge and skill. We 
protested vehemently that the man was un- 
able to walk, but to no avail. Retracing our 
steps we got our comrade out of his bed, 
wrapped him up as warmly as we could, since 
the weather was bitter, and assisted him to 
the surgery. But that journey nearly proved 
his undoing. Upon his return he was pros- 
trated. He rapidly grew worse, and it was 
only through our unremitting attention that 
he pulled through. Throughout the whole 
of his severe illness the medical attendant 

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never exhibited the slightest trace of interest 
or humane feeling in this man. 

One young British jockey went under 
merely because the doctor refused him the 
attention of which he was in dire need. The 
death of this fellow forced a wave of deep 
indignation throughout the camp, for the 
general opinion was that he would have lived 
had he been properly treated. The authori- 
ties strove to assuage the outburst of popu- 
lar feeling without success. To this day tHe 
prisoners emphatically declare that the 
young jockey was a victim of the Prussian 
system in its most oppressive and brutal 
form which, in plain English, may be de- 
scribed as nothing short of gross neglect and 
absolute indifference as to whether he re- 
covered or not. 

Our official medical attendant sometimes 
displayed signs of initiative and enterprise 
that created widespread amusement. One of 
these remarkable brain waves struck him 
one morning during the prevalence of the skin 
disease, when the rapid increase in the num- 
ber of patients had begun to cause alarm. 
After he had surveyed a score of us he 

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jumped excitedly to his feet, prancing like a 
two-year-old, and rubbing his hands glee- 
fully at his brilliant inspiration. We sur- 
veyed him wonderingly, until turning to us, 
he ejaculated : 

"I know what is the matter with you. You 
are too lazy. You don't bestir yourselves. 
You want exercise. Do you understand? 
Exercise! Exercise! Exercise! ! And you 
are going to get it." 

As we had been fretting for weeks for the 
opportunity to give our legs a good stretch 
we failed to see any novelty in his diagnosis. 
Confinement, as we all knew, had been 
chiefly responsible for the scourge that had 
visited us. No one can conceive the wistful- 
ness with which we used to look through the 
chinks in the gate upon the broad expanse of 
the trotting and racing track from which we 
were shut off. We would have given any- 
thing to have taken a sharp walk or sprint 
around its circuit. Now we were to have our 
ardent desire gratified as part and parcel of 
our medical treatment. 

The doctor was so jubilant over his dis- 
covery of the cause of the malady that he was 

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impatient to apply the remedy and resolved to 
set the ponderous Prussian machinery mov- 
ing without loss of time. We were paraded, 
and the entire band of 4,000 prisoners were 
ushered through the gate for a brisk walk 
around the track, under a strong guard, need- 
less to say. But this very walk revealed the 
incompetence of our medical guardian in a 
telling manner, for we were of all ages and 
physical conditions, some sick, others in full 
health, and yet we were all commanded to 
walk at the same gait and the guards set the 
pace. Those of our number who were young 
and healthy had no difficulty in maintaining 
the official military stride, and were able to 
keep it up for the prescribed quarter of an 
hour without feeling any fatigue ; but those 
who had passed the prime of life, and who 
were stiff of limb, as well as those in poor 
physical condition, could not manage more 
than a moderate gait, and then could keep 
it up for only short intervals. 

Consequently, the exercise developed into 
nothing but a farcical episode which those of 
us who were fit enjoyed hugely. The older 
men and those in indifferent health, dropped 

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out one after the other. The procession 
which started out so bravely, with the com- 
pactness of a battalion of fighting men, be- 
came attenuated into a long-drawn-out, 
straggling line. It was impossible to slow 
down the pace to that of the slowest man, 
since then the younger and more agile mem- 
bers of the party failed to keep themselves 
warm and all benefit arising from the exer- 
cise was lost. 

Dr. Geiger finally grasped the situation, 
and, probably at the urging of the officers 
who understood the matter far better than 
he did, the 4,000 men were divided into two 
companies : the first composed of the brisker- 
walking members, and the second of those 
who could only muster a moderate pace. But 
even then the result was no better than when 
we were mustered together. The only obvious 
solution was to divide the prisoners into a 
number of small groups, each of common 
walking ability, but this scheme was too 
complicated for the guards, and the doctor's 
enthusiasm underwent a heavy dampening. 
Within a few days, the walk deteriorated in- 
to a go-as-you-please, as-long-as-you-please, 

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when-you-please display of pedestrianism 
that was anything but impressive to the 
Prussian guards who were accustomed to 
seeing everything proceed with the precision 
of clockwork. Within a month the daily 
exercise was abandoned as a complete fail- 
ure, much to our disappointment, for we had 
enjoyed the walk keenly. But this abandon- 
ment was characteristic of German methods. 
Few proposals suddenly conceived upon our 
behalf and enthusiastically ushered in, 
proved more than the proverbial nine days' 
wonder. 

Within easy distance of Ruhleben and 
forming part of the rr^edical administration, 
though independently controlled, was the 
sanatorium to which certain cases, after a 
prolonged diagnosis, were transferred from 
the camp. Prisoners who were compelled to 
accept its treatment had to pay their own ex- 
penses, and needless to say, we were fined 
heavily. While some of the prisoners de- 
clared that little fault could be found with 
this home, under the circumstances, — they 
were careful to explain this qualification — 
others condemned it unequivocally. I made 

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Up my mind to keep out of it at all hazards 
and succeeded, so I cannot say anything 
based upon personal experience as to the 
treatment, but the most emphatic complaint 
was the expense of the treatment within its 
walls. 

There was one subsidiary establishment 
that was regarded askance by every man in 
the camp. This was the lazaret. Male or- 
derlies attended to the patients, while a 
prisoner was appointed to serve as general 
attendant. Many dark stories concerning 
this hospital were circulated, and it certainly 
gained a far from savory reputation. 

While some of the stories were unmistak- 
ably exaggerated, others were founded on 
solid fact. I can testify to the latter from 
personal investigations. I learned that on 
one occasion the establishment ran out of 
surgical dressings and had nothing with 
which to tend injured prisoners. They sur- 
mounted the difficulty, from what I dis- 
covered, by using discarded dressings. 

This utilization of second-hand dressings, 
which should never have escaped the fire, 
provoked a feeling of horror ; but there was 

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no alternative. Every dressing upon v^hich 
hands could be placed had been requisitioned 
for military service, so severe w^as the short- 
age of materials. 

On another occasion a young prisoner ad- 
mitted to the hospital suddenly collapsed. 
He was examined and life pronounced ex- 
tinct. Although it v^as not an expert exam- 
ination it was accepted and the supposed 
corpse was immediately taken out and laid 
in a bath that happened to be handy. The 
cold night air exercised a resuscitating effect, 
and the young fellow, unable to get out of the 
bath, crouched upon his freezing couch all 
night at the mercy of the inclement weather. 
He was found in the morning, half dead with 
the cold and hurried to the hospital, where 
desperate efforts were made to save him. He 
lingered for a few days and then died, osten- 
sibly from the malady from which he was 
suffering; but whatever part the disease may 
have played, it was only too apparent that it 
had been materially hastened by exposure 
during that fearfully cold night. 

When a prisoner died, his body was 
secretly disposed of, and we never Icnew 



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what became of it. The only information 
vouchsafed was that he had been sent away. 
Within a short time the truth leaked out, and 
we began to attach an awful significance to 
the words "sent away." The prisoners used 
every means to keep out of the lazaret, pre- 
ferring to take their chance among their com- 
rades, who were far more solicitous about 
their continued presence in their midst than 
were the authorities. 

As the weeks dragged wearily by, many 
radical changes were effected ; but every im- 
provement was due entirely to the initiative 
and work of the inm;ates themselves. The 
authorities did not care two straws whether 
we were alive or dead. German arms were 
apparently triumphant, so what did it matter 
whether the prisoners suffered abuse, short 
commons or were ignored almost entirely! 
If a man went under, it merely meant one 
less prisoner to watch and feed. It was 
simply the undaunted spirit of the prisoners 
themselves that kept the camp going. The 
authorities provided us with nothing beyond 
what was absolutely imperative, and only 
the incessant hammering of the American 

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Ambassador brought about any improve- 
ment in our conditions, and to his credit be 
it said, he always listened patiently to our 
wailings. If they were well founded he lost 
no time in causing the Germans to take note 
of them, and never let the matter drop until 
his recommendations had been carried into 
effect. 

During the early days one of the iniquities 
of the camp was what can only be described 
for want of a better term, the isolation or 
quarantine camp. It was separated from us 
as completely as the American continent is 
separated from Europe by the broad Atlan- 
tic. I discovered its existence quite by acci- 
dent, when trudging aimlessly through the 
camp one day I caught a glimpse of my friend 
Moresby White and another prisoner who 
had been with me at Sennelager, and who 
had passed through the frightful tragedy of 
"The Bloody Night of September 11th." I 
hailed them, but at that moment the two dis- 
appeared into a barrack. 

Returning to my own quarters I told the 
others of my discovery. They were incredu- 
lous and chaffed me mercilessly over my im- 

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agination, but I refused to give in. To prove 
that I had not been suffering from mental 
hallucination I hastened off to discover my 
friends, but although I hunted high and low 
and made exhaustive inquiry at the barrack 
into v^hich I had seen them vanish, I failed 
to track them. I began to wonder whether 
after all I had not been the victim of my own 
imagination. 

The days passed without any success at- 
tending my inquiries, and I was just giving 
up all hope when I suddenly came face to 
face with Moresby White. My first inquiry 
was as to the barrack in which he was living. 

"Barrack!" he replied, "Fm not in a bar- 
rack. I'm in the isolation camp !" 

"Isolation camp?" I repeated in surprise. 

"Yes. That place over there!" and he 
raised his arm to indicate its situation. 

"What's it like?" 

"Like ! Phew ! I guess its the limit ! It's 
just running aljve!" And the disgust with 
which he spoke was more impressive than 
the words themselves. 

He was living in strange company, in- 
deed. He shuddered as he related the con- 

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dition of his companions and how the whole 
place was reeking with vermin ; from which I 
gathered he was having a pretty hard time 
of it. But he was not disposed to be 
communicative; he had become inured to 
hardship under Prussian authority, and was 
content with the foregoing picturesque ex- 
planation, feeling confident that I would un- 
derstand, as indeed, I did. Some days later 
he was transferred to the main camp. 

To judge by the more eloquent descrip- 
tions vouchsafed by other prisoners who 
made acquaintance with the isolation estab- 
lishment, it must have been a terrible hole. 
Its reign, fortunately was brief. Even some 
of the inmates who were not unfamiliar with 
vermin raised a protest against the plague 
of parasites there. There objections were 
expressed with more violence than politeness 
and the mutterings were not lost upon the 
authorities. These unsavory quarters were 
dismantled, and our warders showed a de- 
sire to forget all about them the moment 
their noisome reputation became common 
property in the camp. 

The circumstance that Ruhleben has never 

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been ravaged by contagion offers a high trib- 
ute to the prisoners themselves, and is not 
due in the slightest degree, to German effort. 
The prisoners speedily appreciated the neces- 
sity of observing all rules of hygiene, and 
introduced measures of precaution as far as 
was possible within their limited powers. 
The authorities merely looked on. When 
the camp began to crystallize into a well- 
ordered and law-abiding community, and 
when schemes for effecting improvements 
were matured, all dangers of an epidemic 
passed away. 



po 



CHAPTER VI. 

SANITATION AND HYGIENE 

The German nation would have the world 
believe that it is unassailable in all that per- 
tains to the science of sanitation and hy- 
giene; but the camp at Ruhleben gave the 
lie direct to this assertion. 

At the time that I arrived at the camp, con- 
ditions were ghastly. The authorities had 
not even introduced the rudiments of a sani- 
tation system ; everything was of the crudest 
description. 

Although we numbered around 4,000 
souls, there was only sufficient latrine ac- 
commodation for twelve men, and even this 
was of the most primitive description. 

We persistently agitated for a reform of 
the sanitation system, for we feared the ef- 
fect of the open, foul-smelling cesspool up- 
on our health, but it was of little avail. The 



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authorities appeared to be absolutely help- 
less. Then we begged for further accommo- 
dation to meet the exigencies of the camp, 
but this appeal likewise fell upon deaf ears 
until we at last succeeded in drawing the at- 
tention of the United States Ambassador to 
the situation. He instantly recognized the 
legitimacy of our complaints and ordered ex- 
tensions and improvements to be carried out. 
While his active intervention brought about 
a certain amelioration of the fearful condi- 
tions, the improvements themselves were of 
the crudest sort. 

It was not until many months later that 
any efforts were made to grapple with the 
situation upon scientific lines. Then a 
flushing system was introduced, which 
must have been linked up with an existing 
sewage disposal scheme in operation at Span- 
dau, since the main pipe from the camp 
passed under the canal in that direction. But 
even here there was incompetence. The 
main installed was far too small in diameter 
to cope with the volume of work imposed; 
and consequently, blocks in the pipes oc- 
curred with alarming frequency and tem- 

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porarily disorganized the whole scheme. 
Still, the installation, despite its shortcom- 
ings, served to ease our minds very materi- 
ally. In due time we were able to shut down 
the original latrine altogether, and subse- 
quently, at our own expense, turned it to 
account as a semi-open-air cold shower bath. 
In the early days the authorities made no 
attempt to cope with the surface water that 
collected after a heavy rainstorm — and it 
does rain at Ruhleben. Some of the prisoners 
whose homes were in Farther Britain, can- 
didly admitted that in this one respect the 
camp reminded them of home. The rain 
pelted down with the fury of a tropical 
storm; and under the pounding of 4,000 pairs 
of feet, the surface of the ground, especially 
where the maximum of traffic was imposed, 
became churned into lakes of mud. Roads 
were conspicuous by their absence. As the 
surface was wildly uneven and the rain 
water could not get away quickly by 
soakage, it wandered here, there, and every- 
where, forming uninviting lagoons. We did 
not object to these accumulations of water 
save that they compelled us to become am- 

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phibious while they lasted; we had to wade, 
sometimes ankle deep, through the slime, to 
get our meals at the kitchen. 

No effort was made to remedy this state 
of affairs. One barrack, fringing a depres- 
sion in which the water always collected, suf- 
fered somewhat severely, and when the 
water gave signs of rising, the inmates of 
the barrack had an exciting time. A minia- 
ture barrage of boards and other accessible 
materials was run up at the entrance to keep 
the water out, for this was the only means 
by which floods could be averted. Even then, 
the water forced an entry into the barrack, 
making the interior thoroughly damp. How 
the inmates ever succeeded in warding off 
illness was more than the rest of us could 
fathom. 

Things finally came to a pass that de- 
manded drastic action on our part. When- 
ever we complained to those in charge, they 
merely met our protests with a non-com- 
mital shrug of the shoulders, a shake of the 
head and eyebrow dancing; so we decided to 
work out our own salvation. We laid our 
heads together and discovered that our ranks 

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included one or two civil engineers as well as 
many others who were familiar with road- 
making tools. The former prepared the de- 
signs and the latter, organized into business- 
like gangs, carried them into effect. An ex- 
cellent road was driven right through the 
camp, ensuring us a dry causeway no matter 
what the weather might be, so that we could 
move between barracks and the kitchen in 
comfort and with dry feet. The cost of build- 
ing this road was defrayed by ourselves, the 
men who carried out the actual work being 
paid a weekly wage from a special com- 
munity fund. The road was so well built 
that even the authorities were moved to ad- 
miration and after it was completed they had 
the impudence to approach the designers and 
working gangs to ask if they would build 
roads for the Germans outside the camp. 
Needless to say, this cool request met with 
a very blunt and emphatic refusal. 

The road was given an excessive camber, 
and its surface was tightly compressed so as 
to allow the water to make a quick and easy 
escape to either side where it formed stag- 
nant lakes. These lakes furnished amuse- 

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ment to the interned sailors, who would 
fashion miniature boats with paper sails and 
indulge in model boat racing, pursuing the 
recreation with all the delight of schoolboys. 
It was the only way in which they could kill 
time. 

When we entered into occupation of the 
barracks, lighting, both natural and artificial, 
was at a serious discount. So far as the lofts 
were concerned a condition of twilight pre- 
vailed throughout the day, the rays of the 
sun only penetrating the everlasting gloom 
fitfully through the small begrimed windows. 
In those days artificial lighting was abso- 
lutely unknown. We either had to go to bed 
with the birds, which was about five o'clock 
in winter, or spend the evening conversing in 
the darkness. Nine o'clock was the official 
hour for extinguishing all lights, but seeing 
that they were existent only in the abstract, 
the call ''lights out" and the final round by the 
guard to see that the regulation was obeyed, 
seemed somewhat superfluous, and inciden- 
tally created considerable, though enforced 
hilarity. 

The dreariness of the evening hours grated 

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upon our nerves, so one or two of the more 
dare-devil spirits decided to run the risk of 
trouble by breaking rules. A few candles 
were obtained, and the faint soft light shed 
by them sufficed to invest the forbidding 
lofts with a little cheer. By summarily tak- 
ing the solution of this problem into our own 
hands we incurred the risk of severe penalties, 
for the authorities dreaded a fire; but to our 
surprise nothing was said. As a matter of 
fact, it appeared as if the utilization of 
candles gave birth to a brilliant if belated 
inspiration. Electric lighting was installed, 
at the direct instigation of the American 
Ambassador, and this was a decided improve- 
ment, since it enabled us to indulge in even- 
ing occupations and recreations within the 
sanctuary of our own residence. One lamp, 
in the center of the loft, was permitted to re- 
main alight all night, a concession we greatly 
appreciated, because if we could not sleep we 
could pass the time by reading or writing. 

But the most intense discomfort we ex- 
perienced was caused by the bitter cold. We 
virtually lay upon the bare stone floor at 
night — scarcely an inch of straw between the 

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hard couch and our bodies. During the win- 
ter we were nearly frozen to death. Our 
limbs were numbed, while we shook as if 
with the ague. In response to our petition 
the American Ambassador insisted that the 
barracks be heated, and to this end a central 
heating plant was installed somewhat tar- 
dily. Undoubtedly the authorities resented 
this enforced contribution to our comfort, a 
supposition confirmed by the arbitrary 
method it was operated. A central station 
was erected and equipped, pipes leading 
therefrom to the various buildings, but when 
first brought into use, the heat was turned 
on for only a brief period during the day and 
the degree of heat emitted was almost im- 
palpable, while it was provided at an hour 
when we could have done without it. Later 
the authorities appeared to become more in- 
telligently interested in the matter with con- 
sequent improvement. Another distinctly 
beneficial step was taken when the American 
Ambassador demanded that our beds be 
raised above the floor. 

Strange to relate, it was only those in the 
lofts who derived benefit from the heat. The 

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tenants of the horse boxes got no comfort 
from it, for the pipes had been placed out- 
side. The occupants were also victims of the 
drafts that whistled through the space be- 
tween the partition and the ceiling. They 
overcame this by pasting up brown paper 
which unfortunately excluded what little 
heat there was. This unhappy condition of 
affairs was never remedied. The authorities 
had fulfilled their part of the bargain; they 
had installed the heating system demanded 
by the American Ambassador, and it was up 
to the prisoners to devise ways and means to 
secure the maximum of benefit therefrom. 

While the ventilation of the horse-boxes 
was fairly complete, thanks to the draughts, 
that of the lofts was execrable. When we 
first went into residence we could secure a 
certain degree of ventilation by opening the 
small windows. But the authorities would 
have none of this. They not only closed the 
windows, but screwed them up tightly, and 
to make sure that they would not be opened 
surreptitiously they covered them on the out- 
side with heavy wire netting. The reason 
for this action was never fathomed ; possibly 

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it was done to frustrate any attempt at es- 
cape during the night. What ventilation we 
received came through the cracks in the 
walls and the holes in the roof. 

The former channels were draughty so 
that it was necessary to stop them with 
paper. The holes in the roof had to go un- 
touched, but they were a source of intense 
discomfort during rainy weather when the 
water came dripping through, saturating the 
bedding and submitting the occupant to an 
unappreciated shower bath. To secure any 
tangible ventilation we had to leave the door 
ajar, but as the air came through this opening 
with the ferocity of an Arctic blizzard we 
had to close and seal it up. 

It must not be supposed that our captors 
allowed us to lead an entirely idle life. There 
were certain duties which we had to perform 
daily, such as collecting paper littering the 
camp, and sweeping the purlieus of the build- 
ings. There was a huge bin outside each 
barrack into which refuse and sweepings 
were thrown. Once a week we were given a 
wagon, to which the contents of the bins 
was transferred. Then we had to convey 

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this garbage to the dump. No horses were 
provided for haulage ; we had to do this our- 
selves. Teams of prisoners were hitched to 
the shafts and under guard were compelled 
to drag the vehicle to a big depression not far 
away which was being filled up. Despite the 
arduousness of this work, there was never a 
lack of volunteers to serve as haulers ; it gave 
us the opportunity for a little exercise and 
to see something beyond the four walls of 
our prison. 

The attribute of civilization that we missed 
more than anything else was a bath. The 
only makeshift, as I have already narrated, 
was to stand stark naked upon the stone floor 
of the passageway near the taps and sub- 
mit to have a bucket of ice water thrown 
over one by a comrade. We fretted at the 
denial of facilities to keep ourselves clean, 
and finally brought the authorities to relent. 
I have already mentioned the isolation camp 
not far distant, a feature of which was a hot 
shower room. When the camp itself was 
abandoned the shower room was retained, 
and those who desired a bath were escorted 
to the building by an armed guard. 

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Although this room was dilapidated and ex- 
tremely primitive, we unhesitatingly ac- 
cepted the advantages it offered. We were 
compelled to disrobe, bathe, and dress again 
in what was virtually all one room and 
naturally the steam arising from the hot 
water formed a thick impenetrable fog that 
saturated our underclothing. It was useless 
to grumble ; we had agitated for bathing fa- 
cilities and they had been provided. If one's 
clothing became wet during the process, well, 
that was the owner's affair. And so we had 
to retrace our steps to the camp with our 
underclothing wringing wet, clinging to our 
shivering bodies. 

For many months the luxury of hot water 
within the camp was practically unknown. 
We were compelled to walk to the kitchen 
and ask the attendants for a small basinful. 
If they were gracious they would oblige. 
When we commenced to receive parcels of 
provisions from home the demand for hot 
water increased alarmingly, since we re- 
quired it to boil our tea, coffee and cocoa in 
the privacy of our barracks. If a trip were 
made to the kitchen it was likely to prove 

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fruitless; possibly a barrack would be lined 
up waiting to be served, in which case, no one 
else could hope to receive attention unless 
willing to wait at the end of the line. If no 
one were there, then, for a halfpenny or so, 
the water would probably be given. 

We appealed to the authorities for an ex- 
tension of these facilities. They listened, 
and suggested that we erect a special boiler 
house at our own expense, a concession we 
gladly accepted and not only did we pay for 
the materials and erection but for the fuel 
required to run it as well. 

This boiler house proved an inestimable 
boon. We could get a bucket of water for a 
penny, and the demand was heavy. A long 
line would form outside and I have often 
waited for an hour or more for my bucketful. 
The venture proved a highly profitable one, 
and incidentally must have been lucrative 
to the authorities since they were said to 
draw a commission of seven and a half per 
cent upon all transactions. 

Hot water was in demand for a hundred 
purposes, but more than anything else for 
heating the tins of food we received from 

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home. At first, it was the practice of the 
prisoners to go down to the boiler house, pay 
a penny for a bucketful of water, and then 
immerse the tins for about an hour, calling 
for the article on the way back. Subse- 
quently, we hit upon a more economical and 
satisfactory method of achieving the same 
end. A string was tied securely to each tin, 
together with a label bearing the owner's 
name. The tin was then dropped into the 
boiler along with others ; and several dozen 
tins could be heated in this way at one time. 
When the owner came along for his tin, the 
attendant hauled it out and the owner rushed 
away to his barrack with it before it cooled. 
Sometimes the string became detached from 
the tin, and then occurred exciting fishing 
matches. Probing in a big boiler for a tin 
of food, dodging several others attached to 
their leashes, as well as the merrily boiling 
water and the blinding steam, was sport in- 
deed, not unmixed with a certain amount of 
voluble invective upon the part of the at- 
tendant, who considered the enterprise well 
worth the penny levied and who waxed sar- 
castic at the awkwardness of the owner in 

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tying the string to the tin so disastrously. 
Hot water was also warmly appreciated 
for laundry purposes. In the early days, 
washing of clothes was practically unknown. 
Many prisoners possessed nothing beyond 
what they wore ; and if a prisoner so placed 
decided to indulge in the luxury of clean 
underwear he had to wash it out himself and 
stay in bed until it had dried. As a rule, the 
garments presented a worse appearance 
after laundering than before, since soap was 
scarce and cold water is hardly effective for 
the purpose. Later, a firm in Berlin under- 
took to carry out all laundry work, collecting 
and delivering once a week. This arrangement 
only benefitted the prisoners who were able 
to point to a well-stocked wardrobe; those 
who had but one shirt or pair of socks could 
not stay in bed until the solitary garment 
returned; and these were compelled either to 
refrain altogether or wash their own gar- 
ments at night, trusting that they would be 
dry in the morning. When further supplies 
became available, they were either worn con- 
tinuously until they could be worn no longer, 
and then discarded in favor of a new outfit, 

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or else the conventional practice was fol- 
lowed of wearing one while the other was at 
the laundry. 

So far as the internal condition of the 
lofts was concerned we were left to our own 
devices. At first we were compelled to lie 
upon loose straw, but this was afterwards 
stowed into sacks provided by the authori- 
ties, thereby forming small mattresses. To- 
day, straw being valuable as a foodstuff, 
wood-shavings are served out to fulfil this 
purpose. The mattress idea was warmly ap- 
preciated, inasmuch as when the straw was 
loose it became heavily contaminated with 
mud and other filth introduced upon our 
boots, which precipitated a lamentable state 
of afifairs, especially when the straw was 
periodically livened up, and threw heavy 
nauseating clouds of dust into the air. 

When the straw had been mattressed we 
were able to keep the floor in a tolerably 
clean condition, although the congested dis- 
position of the wooden beds reduced the open 
space to narrow gangways. These were 
swept regularly by orderlies appointed by 
the residents of the barracks and chosen 

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from the necessitous members among us, 
who were paid for their work. Each man in 
a barrack contributed a penny or more a 
week to the orderly fund, the contribution 
varying with the monetary status of the 
prisoner. 



10^ 



CHAPTER VII 

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNAL 
GOVERNMENT 

When I was drafted to the central intern- 
ment camp near Spandau, the community 
which I found reminded me of nothing so 
much as a mammoth gypsy encampment. 
When 4,000 men are suddenly flung into one 
another's company, chaos and confusion are 
inevitable. The British colony resident in 
and traveling through Germany, were so 
stunned by the suddenness and comprehen- 
siveness of the blow that they failed to grasp 
its entire significance and effects. Ignorance 
and uncertainty as to the future caused the 
time to drag heavily. An atmosphere of 
utter aimlessness prevailed, and the faint- 
hearted, fortunately in the minority, settled 
down in a hopeless comatose state, prepared 
to accept anything and everything as it came, 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

and refraining from lifting a finger on their 
own behalf. 

All things considered, there was a per- 
fectly legitimate excuse for such lethargy 
and disposition to accept the camp as it was 
found. The current impression prevailed 
that we were certain to be released within a 
very short time; that the authorities had 
rounded us up merely to keep us under sur- 
veillance while maturing a scheme whereby 
they would be able to keep perfect track of 
us with facility or to arrange for our re- 
patriation. Many cherished the thought that 
we should be given our freedom on "pass" 
once more, or at least be permitted to live 
within certain areas, where we could be 
watched without taxing the authorities to 
any pronounced degree. Naturally such a 
buoyant hope re-acted against any interest 
being evinced in our surroundings. We 
argued, and logically perhaps under the cir- 
cumstances, that it would be a sheer waste 
of time and energy to embark upon any im- 
provements, since an order consenting to our 
release might come to hand at any moment. 

The authorities were wily; they encour- 



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aged the maintenance of the fictitious theory 
at the time. It was to their advantage. The 
Teuton is unremittingly cautious to avoid 
trouble. In this instance the authorities were 
quick to seize upon British feeling to the 
greatest advantage to themselves, and did 
not hesitate to placate us in every possible 
manner. They did not openly aver that we 
were to be released within a short time ; they 
were too shrewd for that. But at the same 
time they did not deny the current statement 
which gained credence and widespread cir- 
culation. I had already learned to my cost 
that the German is uncannily adept at this 
game. I had suffered from similar tactics 
while languishing in Wesel prison and Sen- 
nelager camp, and I declined to be lulled 
into a false sense of security. I communi- 
cated my personal impressions to my col- 
leagues, but for the most part, they, being 
ignorant of the depths of German craftiness 
and bluff, refused to listen to me for a mo- 
ment, and I was promptly declared to be a 
croaking raven. 

A certain restiveness and chafing prevailed 
among the prisoners but owing to the sedu- 

iio 



V. 





AU-POSTAlMATmeRFRee. 




Renowned Resort for Restful ReLAXATiON. 




i ® A PLEASURE BOAT. B. owe OFTMe OMg SWANS. 



ii ® A PL EASURE BOAT. B. Owe OFTMe OMg SWANS. | 

rtiRRiF HALLTEMPERANCE HOTtL. sminutts from railway statkdn . lOO feetatovc 

TOURISTS AOCCPTCD. CVERyT>ilNG MODERATE. pgOPRIETORS .-LOFTS UMlTtU. | 



An "Advertisement" from the Ruhleben Camp Magazine. 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

lous fostering of the idea of a speedy re- 
lease, open discontent, trouble and agitation 
were successfully averted. Moreover, the 
authorities realized that by keeping us keyed 
up to such a high pitch of expectancy, they 
were gradually wearing down our high 
spirits, and that complete relapse would at- 
tend the reaction when we at last realized 
that we had been living in a fool's paradise. 
It was not until we observed one new build- 
ing after another going up, thereby increas- 
ing our accommodations, that the awful 
truth dawned upon us. Then we realized we 
were condemned to stay in this prison for an 
indefinite period. 

Once we grasped this true condition of af- 
fairs we surveyed the situation from the only 
sensible point of view, deciding to make the 
best of it. Transference from military to 
civil administration brought a certain meas- 
ure of improvement, but the former still re- 
mained supreme. The camp was closely 
guarded by soldiers, although armed control 
within was gradually relinquished and at last 
ceased altogether as we proved law-abiding 
and tractable. We assumed the responsibili- 

IIZ 



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ties of maintaining order ourselves. Then 
the soldiers were delegated solely to patrol- 
ling outside the camp, sleeping quarters be- 
ing provided w^ithin, and they were dispos- 
sessed of all authority over us, for which 
release they seemed devoutly thankful. 

Although our guard was never communi- 
cative in regard to the progress of the war, 
actions were far more eloquent than words. 
We could not fail to observe how hard the 
Germans were being pushed for men. When 
we were first imprisoned, strapping young 
soldiers swarmed everywhere, swaggering 
with true Prussian arrogance, flushed with 
the first smell of blood and disposed to treat 
us with contempt. Numerically strong, they 
watched us closely and never hesitated to in- 
terfere upon the slightest breach of the 
myriad regulations which bound us. Evi- 
dently they considered "carpeting" a British 
prisoner to be a highly diverting amusement. 

One thing was sternly suppressed. We 
were not permitted to collect in groups, no 
matter how harmless our discussions might 
be. There was nothing to do, and the 
prisoners were naturally apt to gather in 

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this manner to give expression to individual 
theories, to air speculations concerning the 
future, or to discuss the topics of the hour. 
As we gathered the guard w^ould watch us 
closely, and when the party assumed undue 
proportions, it would advance and disperse 
us roughly, taking care to send us in different 
directions. This unceasing surveillance be- 
came almost intolerable at one juncture. It 
was at the time when Italy's decision hung 
in the balance. Evidently the Germans, some 
time before Italy made her choice publicly 
known, were fully aware that she would cast 
her lot with that of the Allies. We heard all 
about it and as may be supposed discussed 
the situation very animatedly. 

The authorities, impressed by our openly 
declared pro-Italian sympathy, tightened up 
the regulations. Evidently they anticipated 
a manifestation of exuberant "maffxcking" 
on our part when the momentous decision 
was reached by Italy, for they issued a warn- 
ing that should there be the slightest display 
of jubilation, we should be severely punished, 
both collectively and individually. They did 
not give us any idea of the projected fate 

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in store for us in such an event, but contented 
themselves with uttering dark threats and 
ominous hints. 

However, we were not to be intimidated, 
although we unanimously decided that, on 
behalf of the camp as a whole, we would re- 
frain from any public demonstration. We 
would have a junketing within our barracks 
after the guards had sounded "lights out." 
To this end there ensued a heavy run upon 
spaghetti. Every available ounce of this 
national Italian comestible was greedily ac- 
quired, and we were able to amass impressive 
stores with which we regaled ourselves joy- 
ously and handsomely upon the night when 
Italy announced her intentions. It was a 
clandestine "maffick," but all the more ex- 
uberant because we had the satisfaction of 
knowing that we had outwitted the authori- 
ties completely. 

As the weeks wore on, we noticed that the 
guard was more frequently changed, that 
older and older men were successively dele- 
gated to the duty of mounting watch over us, 
and that the numerical strength of the mili- 
tary wardens was rapidly undergoing 

TT4 



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marked diminution. This circumstance im- 
pressed us more than anything else, and our 
spirits rose. As the number of soldiers de- 
creased, the barrier which had existed be- 
tween captors and captives became whittled 
down until it disappeared altogether. 

The older soldiers regarded the situation 
from a different point of view than the 
younger men. They had been torn from 
their homes and businesses, and were in- 
wardly opposed to the war. They nursed no 
resentment against us; indeed, they were 
communicative, affable and ready to perform 
any small duty to ingratiate themselves with 
us. We saw we were gaining a moral ascen- 
dancy over them, and did not hesitate to 
profit by it. At the same time we were very 
careful not to tilt against the windmill of 
officialdom, for we realized that the less we 
inconvenienced our wardens the easier 
would be our lot. When at last we decided 
that the moment had arrived for us to essay 
to take over the camp and become respon- 
sible for its administration, the authorities, 
impressed by our record of docility and 
knowing that we were a well-ordered and 

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law-abiding community, placed no obstacles 
in our way. This was a distinct concession, 
for there were many anomalies and short- 
comings, if not actual hardships, demanding 
immediate redress, which we could effect 
among ourselves but which the authorities 
would not consider for a mon;ent. 

We decided to run the camp, so far as the 
limitations would permit, in accordance with 
British traditions, and to establish British 
practice and method, right in the heart of the 
enemy's country. A complete transforma- 
tion was wrought. The guards came to the 
conclusion that we were not such bad fellows 
after all. We reciprocated the sentiment 
with the result that although our wardens 
were changed frequently, we always main- 
tained our superiority. It evidently became 
noised among the soldiers that looking after 
the British prisoners was a soft and lucrative 
job. As the economic situation within Ger- 
many grew worse, the animosity against us 
diminished almost to zero, the soldiers 
rightly concluding that they had everything 
to gain and nothing to lose from cultivating 
our friendship, although now and again an 

ii6 



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upstart, upon his arrival, would attempt to 
parade his arrogance and authority. 

So far as the authorities were concerned 
they never wanted to be bothered; it was the 
system, and not the individual, which had to 
be taken into consideration. Moreover, we 
were unremitting in our determination to 
suppress all attempts at open defiance and 
lawlessness among ourselves, and if we could 
not control one of our number, we speedily 
escorted him to the authorities to be dealt 
with according to the nature of his offence. 
The of^cers themselves expressed their ap- 
proval of our methods, and when forced to 
intervene, did so with reluctance. 

When we received permission to govern 
ourselves we decided that we could not do 
better than to inaugurate a communal con- 
trol based upon the broad practice followed 
by every city and town at home. The office 
of mayor devolved upon the captain of the 
camp, who was recognized as the sole inter- 
mediary between the prisoners and the Ger- 
man authorities. All complaints had to be 
made through him and his decision was final. 
If he conceded a complaint was well founded, 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

he passed it on to the proper quarter. This 
move was greatly appreciated by the Ger- 
mans, for it protected them from many petty 
annoyances and imaginary worries; and 
within a short time, they conceded that any 
complaint which reached them through the 
camp's captain was legitimate enough to de- 
mand investigation or it would never have 
reached them. Then each barrack elected a 
captain, who in turn was responsible for the 
good conduct, welfare and cleanliness of the 
members resident therein, and he again acted 
as the channel for all complaints between the 
prisoners in his barrack and the captain of 
the camp. 

The system worked with wonderful 
smoothness and satisfaction to one and all. 
Certainly it contributed in a very great meas- 
ure to the high reputation which Ruhleben 
achieved among the authorities. Once the 
government was established we put our 
shoulders to the wheels of progress and so- 
cial reform to improve our position, in which 
direction we also achieved so many wonders 
as to earn approbation from our wardens. 
All things considered we were given a toler- 

Ji8 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

ably free hand, no appreciable opposition to 
our projects being offered so long as we were 
prepared to defray the total financial expen- 
diture incurred. Naturally, every suggestion 
had to be submitted to the authorities, but 
they refrained from exerting more than a 
fatherly jurisdiction over our operations. 

The reform proposals were so comprehen- 
sive and diverse as to necessitate the forma- 
tion of a host of committees, each of which 
was responsible for the work that came with- 
in its sphere of influence. Thus we had edu- 
cational, theatrical, trading, training and 
numberless other committees, and I doubt if 
any municipal community at home could 
point to such a record of industry and inde- 
fatigable labor as characterized the straight- 
ening out of affairs in this internment camp. 
Among these varied committees was one of 
special significance. We could do practically 
nothing without money. There was plenty 
of it in the camp, so the first essential action 
was the establishment of a sound financial 
system to enable the public works to be 
carried promptly through to success. 

To this end was inaugurated what might 

up 



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be called the Common Fund, which was 
kept going by contributions from every con- 
ceivable source of revenue, such as profits 
on trading, amusements and other diverse 
occupations and recreations. When it was 
decided to establish inter-trading within the 
camp, private enterprise was not generally 
favored, for it was thought that this would 
tend toward exploitation of the majority to 
the exclusive benefit of the minority. Brief 
experience, as I shall show later, sufficed to 
justify our fears in a conclusive manner. 

Communal trading was one of the first 
projects to be attacked in grim earnest. At 
first, those who desired to supplement of- 
ficial rations by purchase of luxuries, not 
obtainable from the canteen, were compelled 
to patronize a tiny cramped stall known as 
"Pondside Stores," to the benefit of its 
proprietor, a German woman. When we took 
over the administration of the camp, a row 
of shops was built and paid for out of the 
Common Fund. As a reminder of home, this 
shopping thoroughfare was facetiously 
christened Bond Street, and the square at 
one end of it was called Trafalgar Square. 

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Each shop was set aside for a specific enter- 
prise, such as dry goods, provisions, tailor- 
ing and outfitting. The responsible govern- 
ment purchased and maintained the stocks 
for these establishments, purchasing from 
German houses, and also provided capable 
managers and assistants, v^ho were paid five 
shillings a week from the Common Fund. 

The government was responsible for the 
purchase and selling prices of the various 
commodities — the profit on the goods was 
settled by a committee — and brisk trading 
soon caused the Fund to grow rapidly. The 
majority of the prisoners either received re- 
mittances from home or a weekly allowance 
from a fund controlled by the American 
Embassy, while there were also many in 
the camp well blessed with the sinews of 
war, owing to the indiscriminate manner in 
which the British element in the country 
had been rounded up and interned. By the 
time I left Ruhleben, the Fund had grown 
to impressive proportions. The transactions 
within the camp amounted to thousands of 
pounds within the year. 

Although profits were cut fine and business 



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conducted on the "small profits, quick re- 
turns" basis, the annual aggregate balance 
was somewhat startling. It was co-opera- 
tive trading upon a big scale and pursued 
under peculiar conditions, but no one could 
doubt its success. This big favorable bal- 
ance on the commercial and amusement un- 
dertakings furnished funds for a variety of 
other purposes. One salient feature charac- 
terized Ruhleben life — nothing was free; 
every enterprise was drawn up to ensure a 
profit. When the German authorities real- 
ized the extent of our inter-trading opera- 
tions, they divined a source of fruitful reve- 
nue and accordingly insisted that they should 
receive a commission of 7j4 per cent upon 
the turnover. This amounted to quite a re- 
spectable figure — "bunce" for Germany, we 
termed it — and due precautions were taken 
to see that the uttermost farthing was raked 
in. Among the prisoners was a chartered 
accountant, and he assumed responsibility 
for the camp government's books. This was 
an imposing task in itself; and the poor man 
often worked far into the night to keep pace 
with the commercial transactions. Compe- 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

tent bookkeeping was imperative, for the ac- 
counts had to be referred periodically to the 
authorities, who, in turn, submitted them to 
Berlin, where they were audited by fully 
qualified officials and the sum due the Ger- 
man administration duly appraised. It was 
galling to think that we, as civilian pris- 
oners of war, were inadvertently giving 
financial aid to the Teuton military machine, 
but it was a condition that we could not 
escape. 

The Common Fund proved an inestimable 
boon to the community as a whole, particu- 
larly in connection with provisions. Many 
of the prisoners were denied parcels from 
home because their families could not afford 
to send them; and these depended entirely 
upon the provision shop within the camp, and 
then could not get what they wanted if the 
price rose above a certain figure. Thus, but- 
ter, owing to the blockade, began to rise 
ominously, until it notched 4s. 2d. per pound 
in Berlin. It looked as if the poorer among 
us would have to go without this article of 
food; but the problem, was neatly adjusted. 
The trading committee was not saddled with 

1^3 



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the entire cost; instead a certain sum was 
set aside from the Common Fund toward its 
purchase; and this contribution not being 
repayable, actually constituted a gift toward 
the purchase. The trading committee, in de- 
ciding the selling price of any article, based 
its figure upon the outlay, and, so far as 
butter was concerned this was reduced to the 
extent of the free contribution. As a result, 
the butter was sold in the camp at a price 
far below what it actually cost in Berlin. 
Butter steadily became scarcer, however, and 
the price rose accordingly until the Fund gift 
lost its significance. The gift could not be 
increased indefinitely except at the expense 
of other objects equally vital; and finally 
butter became obtainable by only a chosen 
few. The retail price in Germany at the be- 
ginning of 1917 reached 12s. per pound, and 
even at this figure, very little was to be had. 
The Common Fund also played an impor- 
tant part in maintaining another equally 
important subsidiary fund. This was one 
inaugurated wholly and solely for necessi- 
tous prisoners, not a charity but essentially 
a businesslike proposition. To derive any 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

benefit from this fund, a prisoner had to re- 
ciprocate with his labor There were many 
among us "broke to the wide," from circum- 
stances over which they had no control. If 
they felt disposed to work they were insured 
a small wage, running up to five shillings 
weekly, pocket money that enabled them to 
make purchases contributing to their crea- 
ture comforts. 

Although we made every effort to secure 
regular supplies the fates were invariably 
against us. For instance, a consignment of 
bread would come in on Tuesday, butter on 
Wednesday, milk on Thursday and so on. 
The moment supplies arrived, they were an- 
nounced; thus, on Tuesday, everyone was 
informed "Bread In," while other commodi- 
ties were advertised in a similar fashion upon 
their respective days. Upon being notified, 
the prisoners would line up in a long queue 
outside of the shop in question. The stock 
was so severely limited that it was generally 
exhausted within two or three hours. 

This system possessed certain shortcom- 
ings. Those who were flush of funds imme- 
diately purchased what they required, while 

125 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

those who were dependent upon their weekly 
wage, which was paid on the Friday, had to 
go without, all business in the camp being 
conducted on the "cash" principle. There- 
fore, to ensure a more equitable distribution 
of supplies, a few of the more affluent pris- 
oners would club together to make big pur- 
chases of the indispensable comestibles, and 
hold them over until the less fortunate drew 
their wages. The latter could then buy what 
they wanted at precisely the same price as 
if they had presented themselves at the 
shops. 

Among our various enterprises was the 
establishment of a newspaper. A typewriter 
was secured, and an unpretentious daily 
sheet was prepared. When we secured a 
duplicator we were able to reel out copies by 
the score. For the most part the contents 
were drawn from the German press, supple- 
mented by items and gossip of local interest. 
This enterprise subsequently developed into 
a magazine, published at irregular intervals, 
printed in Berlin, at our expense, to which 
the talent of the camp, pen, pencil and brush, 
freely contributed, and which periodically, it 

126 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

may be explained, constitutes a faithful mir- 
ror of life in the internment camp, and the 
irrepressible Mark Tapleyism of the British 
race under the most distressing conditions. 
It is a witty and live magazine, all profits 
from which go into the Common Fund. 

While British newspapers were distinctly 
verhoten we were permitted to purchase 
German publications, which were brought 
in daily, and sold by a German girl. For the 
most part, the Teuton papers comprised the 
Berliner Tagehlatt and ^' Aunt Voss/*' of 
which last, rumor had it, special editions 
were prepared for our express edification, but 
to the truth of this statement I cannot tes- 
tify. Delivery was not exactly regular ; and 
as the newsgirl had plenty of patronage we 
could not understand, at first, her apparent 
indifYerence to trade. Later, we discovered 
that all of the papers were submitted to rigid 
censoring before they could be brought into 
the camp, and if they contained a line con- 
cerning a British success of arms, they were 
prohibited. By such action, the authorities 
doubtlessly hoped to keep us in ignorance of 
British military developments, but, once hav- 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

ing gleaned the reason for the non-appear- 
ance of the papers, we naturally measured 
British successes by the days on which the 
news-sheets were not forthcoming. As time 
went on and the number of blanks increased, 
we rightly concluded that the German army 
was receiving a series of jolts which it did 
not relish. Consequently, by forbidding the 
papers, the Teutons defeated their own ends. 
Although we were somewhat in the dark as 
to the magnitude of the British achievements 
we were free to speculate on the subject. 

One day a huge bundle of newspapers was 
brought into camp, and to our astonishment 
they were freely distributed among the pris- 
oners who quickly gathered around. That 
the authorities should present us with copies 
of a newspaper hot from the press was an 
outburst of magnanimity which quite over- 
whelmed us, and our delight became intensi- 
fied when we read the title, Continental 
Times, We supposed this to be a continental 
edition of the eminent British daily and we 
grabbed the profered copies with eager de- 
light. But when we dipped into the contents ! 
Phew ! The howl of rage that went up and 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

the invectives that v^ere hurled to the four 
winds startled even the guard. At first wt 
thought the venerable Old Lady of Printing 
House Square had become bereft, since the 
paper was crammed from beginning to end 
with pro-German propaganda of an amazing 
and incredible description. 

It was a cunning move but so shallow as 
to merely provoke sarcasm. Time after time 
that offensive sheet was brought into camp 
and given away; but on each occasion we 
subjected it to the grossest indignities we 
could conceive. What it cost the authorities 
to endeavor to deceive us in this way is only 
known to themselves, but it was a ghastly 
fiasco. Truly, the Teuton is strangely 
warped in his psychology. 

Yet, at intervals, the British press pro- 
voked just as an acute exasperation among 
the prisoners at Ruhleben as the distorted 
statements and fabrications of their German 
contemporaries. One London daily almost 
precipitated a riot in the camp with an article 
entitled, ''Work-shys at Ruhleben," in con- 
nection with a report issued by the American 
Ambassador in Berlin dealing with a special 



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and official visit to the camp. This glaring 
title created a feeling of intense bitterness, 
and even the Germans laughed at the distor- 
tion and imagination of the British scribes. 
The article v^as undoubtedly inspired by the 
fact that the poorer prisoners worked dili- 
gently all day while others amused them- 
selves on the tennis courts and football field ; 
but the statements betrayed a complete 
ignorance of local conditions and of the 
organization of the camp. There are no 
*'work-shys" at Ruhleben, but there are men 
who work from choice and necessity to se- 
cure the weekly salary of five shillings, paid 
out of the Common Fund. Work is pur- 
posely created to keep these unfortunate 
compatriots in the position to secure one or 
two luxuries and comforts which would 
otherwise be impossible. Even those who 
play tennis and football indirectly create 
work, as the courts and field have to be kept 
in condition, while those who indulge contri- 
bute freely to the Common Fund. 

An equally fantastic statement in another 
British weekly caused an uproar. It was 
stated in all seriousness that one man had 

130 



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been able to send home £17, which, so it in- 
sinuated, he had made at the expense of his 
colleagues. This story, upon its iteration 
in camp, provoked a serious situation, for 
the man in question was receiving five shil- 
lings a week from the Common Fund, and 
he certainly was not in the position to remit 
to England the sum of £17. Such will-o'-the- 
wisp stories work far-reaching damage and 
seriously affect the smooth working of the 
community. It may seem strange, but such 
"yarns" as these reached the camp within a 
very few hours of their publication, how, no 
one seemed to know. As we were powerless 
to refute them we were compelled to suffer 
in silence, while the British public, owing to 
the absence of any contradiction, is disposed 
to accept such statements as true. Moreover, 
such wild and fictitious assertions adversely 
affect the status of the British press in Ger- 
man eyes. The latter, knowing the true 
state of affairs, smile contentedly, and hav- 
ing discovered these fabrications, logically 
assume the remainder of the intelligence 
published in British papers to be equally un- 
trustworthy. Gross misstatements of fact 

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published in the British press, gathered 
from irresponsible sources, more seriously 
threaten the equanimity and orderliness of 
the British internment camp at Ruhleben 
than the wildest assertions in the German 
papers. The latter are expected; the former 
are construed as outrage. 



13^ 



CHAPTER VIII. 

BENEFITS OF THE COMMUNE 

The food issue at Ruhleben has ever been 
one of the most discussed questions and the 
cause of the gravest discontent among the 
prisoners. Milkless and sugarless acorn cof- 
fee, black bread, and unappetizing soups of 
little nourishing value, cannot by any stretch 
of the imagination be construed into a decent 
physical maintenance diet. When the eco- 
nomic situation in Germany was compara- 
tively easy, the average menu, so far as the 
midday meal was concerned, might be set 
down as soup — pea and cabbage predominat- 
ing — for three or four days of the week, 
while on the other days we received such 
fare as rice and prunes, or rice and sausage. 
On Sundays we might be rewarded with a 
small piece of meat, potatoes and gravy, gar- 
nished with a small portion of sauerkraut, 

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the last by way of a great treat. After the 
kitchen was taken over by the prisoners 
themselves, we sometimes received a small 
bun or other trifling delicacy, if such it could 
be called, for tea, but only on rare occasions. 

At intervals, fish was served, but this was 
so vile that it was invariably declined. It 
was quite unpalatable owing to the brine, 
and moreover was generally in an advanced 
state of decomposition, which apparently had 
suffered suspension owing to prodigal treat- 
ment with salt. Even the sailors, who were 
considered to be the least fastidious about 
their food, would refuse the dish. 

When we received permission to run the 
camp ourselves one of our first actions was 
to obtain control of the kitchen. We saw 
scope for many reforms but were rather 
doubtful as to whether the authorities would 
allow us to take this issue in hand. To our 
surprise they offered no objection. The com- 
missariat was at that time in the hands of a 
contractor who proved to be one of the most 
despicable of Teuton rascals, nothing less 
than a profiteer, pure and simple. The food 
grew worse and worse in spite of the com- 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

plaints that were lodged almost daily. Those 
at the head of things usually admitted that 
these complaints were well founded, and os- 
tensibly strove to effect improvements but 
without tangible results. 

I recall one day when we were compelled 
to go without our midday meal. It was one 
of those rare occasions when an officer from 
Berlin visited the camp. He proceeded 
straightway to the kitchen to have a look 
around. Fish was the delicacy in prepara- 
tion and he investigated it closely, and de- 
livered an opinion that threw the kitchen 
staff into consternation. The fish was con- 
demned unequivocally. The contractor pro- 
tested but soon realized that argument with 
a German official is sheer waste of breath. 
The officer cut him short, condemned the 
food as totally unfit for human consumption, 
and dared the contractor to serve out fish at 
his peril. While those of the prisoners who 
witnessed the incident rejoiced inwardly, 
faces dropped at the prospect of no meat be- 
ing forthcoming. The officer turned to us 
and expressed his sympathy at our having 
to go dinnerless, but he emphatically declined 

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to permit prisoners to be served with such 
vile food under any consideration. He prom- 
ised us a good tea by v^ay of amends, and he 
v^as as good as his v^ord. Not only did he 
have the offensive fish destroyed before his 
eyes, but he w^aited to see that v^e were not 
robbed of the rice and prunes that comprised 
our tea. 

Our request to control the kitchen extri- 
cated the authorities from a dilemma. Com- 
plaints concerning the food had come to a 
pass that reduced them to helplessness. They 
were as deeply incensed against the contrac- 
tor as we were, inasmuch as the government 
was not being given full value for the money 
paid for our sustenance. Time after time 
protests were lodged by the officials in 
charge, but the contractor always insisted 
that he was serving us with the very best 
material that he could obtain at the price, and 
that indifferent quality and quantity were 
entirely attributable to the condition of af- 
fairs within the country. If he could not get 
the foodstuffs, how could he supply them to 
us, was his attitude. It was a specious argu- 
ment that appeared to quiet the agitation, 

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but the officials knew quite as well as we did 
that the rascal was merely exploiting us and 
making money rapidly in the transaction. 
The contractor had the best of it until we 
came along with our suggestion. Then the 
authorities, seeing the opportunity to end his 
contract, bundled him out neck and crop on 
the instant, their excuse being that we, the 
prisoners, had taken over the entire under- 
taking and would become responsible for 
feeding ourselves. The contractor was dis- 
posed to put up a fight, but the German mili- 
tary have their own peculiar way of settling 
such affairs and we were left in undisputed 
possession. 

The moment we secured control of the 
kitchen the system was completely over- 
hauled. One of our number was installed as 
controller, while the staff was similarly re- 
cruited from the ranks of the prisoners. All 
were given the weekly wage of five shillings. 
Of course, the members of the staff were at 
liberty to profit from "extras" so far as they 
could, and so long as it was not at the ex- 
pense of any member of the community, or 
in connection with the essential meals. For 

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instance, such extras as hot water at odd 
times of the day invariably earned a ''tip," in 
addition to the official charge for the article, 
but inasmuch as those who rewarded such 
additional duties were well able to afford it, 
no harm was done. It must be admitted that 
the kitchen staff were equally diligent in 
ministering to the wants of the necessitous 
as to those of the more wealthy. There was 
never the slightest discrimination. 

Although the "chef* was not permitted to 
order what he required, but was compelled to 
utilise what the authorities provided, we 
benefited from the superior preparation and 
presentation of our meals, while the control- 
ler displayed wonderful ingenuity in render- 
ing the less attractive foodstuffs as appetis- 
ing as human endeavor could contrive. 
Moreover, at times, we were treated to un- 
expected and intensely appreciated delights. 
Thus, for the evening meal we might be 
given a dole of tea with milk or sugar, or 
possibly the acorn coffee was rendered palat- 
able by the addition of milk or sugar— per- 
haps both. Considering the restricted scale 
of materials with which the kitchen was sup- 

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plied, its achievements were remarkable. 
By this time parcels were also being re- 
ceived from home and we consequently be- 
came more dependent upon food received in 
this manner than upon that provided by the 
authorities. As the prisoners had resolved 
themselves long since into small cliques, a 
system of division — in vogue with my par- 
ticular party — was widely practised. The con- 
tents of all the parcels addressed to the mem- 
bers of a group were pooled, to be shared and 
shared alike. The system was simple. For 

instance, K would receive a parcel on 

Monday. The member of the party who was 
fulfilling his spell of duty as orderly un- 
packed the parcel, noted the contents, and 
attached the date of receipt thereto. The 
more perishable foodstuffs were eaten first. 
On Tuesday, a parcel would come for me, 
and this would be treated in an identical 
manner. The orderly would prepare the 
meals, the menu varying according to the 
"stocks" available, and in this manner sup- 
plies were eked out to supplement, or as a 
substitute for, the oflficial rations. The or- 
derly was entirely responsible for the party's 

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commissariat, the preparation of the meals, 
the preservation of the edibles, and their dis- 
tribution from day to day, during the period 
of his duty in this connection. When his 
term of responsibility was completed he 
merely handed over his stocks and records to 
his successor. In this vvray it was possible to 
transfer the responsibility from one to the 
other at a moment's notice, and that without 
the slightest friction or mishap, and we were 
generally assured of some dainty every day. 
As a rule we confined the luxuries from home 
to the evening meal, which we considered in 
the light of a dinner or high tea. If the par- 
cels destined for the party arrived simul- 
taneously, and we suffered from a temporary 
glut, then the other two meals of the day 
were supplemented by such luxuries as the 
supplies would allow. 

By sharing out in this manner all the mem- 
bers of a party benefited, while those poorer 
members who were denied the receipt of a 
parcel from home, owing to their relatives 
not being in the position to extend such assis- 
tance, were not permitted to feel their lonely 
position. The dainties were given to them 

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in the true spirit of camaraderie and they 
did not fail to extend acknowledgments of 
their thankfulness in such directions as they 
could. In some instances, unfortunately, a 
more selfish practice prevailed. I recall one 
prisoner who was not only flush in pocket, 
but who received parcels with unfailing regu- 
larity from home. The assortment of dain- 
ties which came into his hands was astonish- 
ing, but he was never known to share a crust 
with a less fortunate comrade. He would sit 
at the table with a parade of luxuries — 
tongue, tinned vegetables and fruit, white 
bread and butter — and gorge with sublime 
indifference to the meager fare of his col- 
leagues who watched him with longing eyes 
as they made the most of their acorn coffee 
and hunks of black bread. I really think 
that had it not been for the generosity of the 
more sympathetic members of the camp who 
willingly distributed such tidbits from their 
parcels as they could afford, such selfish 
gourmands as the prisoner in question would 
have been deprived of their luxuries by force. 
But the men, in spite of their famished condi- 
tion, exhibited wonderful self-control and ex- 

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pended their indignation in other directions. 
Such gluttons were the butt of increasing 
ridicule, the victims of practical joking 
and objects of disgust throughout the camp. 
They were harried from pillar to post, and 
regarded as useless "black sheep,'' and when- 
ever a request for release was refused, the 
howls of derisive delight which went up 
forced the unpopular individual to seek the 
consolation of solitude. 

The communal government brought about 
other important changes. Thus, under the 
original regime, the prisoners had to present 
themselves at one place for their meals, while 
another cubbyhole served as depot for the 
distribution of black bread. It was no un- 
common event for a prisoner to be compelled 
to wait an hour or more in the "bread line" 
after a similar wait on the kitchen queue. 
When the snow was deep and the thermome- 
ter hovering about zero, this was a fearful 
experience and many of the men were quite 
numb and half senseless from the cold by the 
time they reached the window and received 
their ration. 

This system was changed. Representa- 

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tion induced the authorities to concede the 
establishment of a bread depot in each bar- 
rack under control of the barrack captain. 
Sufficient bread was fetched daily to ensure 
each man in the barrack receiving his daily 
ration of one-fifth of a loaf. In this way the 
long wait in the open air was avoided, an in- 
novation which met with widespread ap- 
proval. This decentralization extended a fur- 
ther benefit. Those prisoners who were in 
receipt of regular supplies of bread from 
home could naturally dispense with the of- 
ficial allowance; but the authorities were not 
permitted to benefit from this circumstance. 
Each man drew his ration and if he did not 
require it, promptly handed it over to a col- 
league who did. 

Communal government also enabled the 
postal system within the camp to be im- 
proved beyond recognition. A post office was 
established in each barrack. The regulations 
permitted each prisoner to write two four- 
page letters and four postcards per month. 
Naturally, extreme care had to be displayed to 
keep within the limitations of the censorship, 
which was rigorous. Thus neither pen nor 

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' indelible pencil were permitted. Only an 
ordinary leaden pencil could be employed, 
enabling the censor to obliterate with eraser 
any statements to which he took exception. 
Also, the writing, especially on the postcards, 
had to be fairly large, so as to be read with 
ease. Generally speaking the authorities 
were very fair over the postal material. If 
the writing was too small the postcard would 
be returned to the writer with a note calling 
attention to the reason for its refusal. But, as 
a rule, if the card was reposted, it was per- 
mitted to pass, the authorities being satisfied 
that upon the next occasion the writer would 
comply wth the request to write in larger 
characters. 

Official stationery had to be used for both 
letters and postcards, and this had to be pur- 
chased by the prisoners, from a small stock 
carried in each barrack post office. We did 
not have to pay for stamps, in accordance 
with the terms of the Hague convention 
which decrees that the correspondence of 
prisoners of war shall be mailed free. 

The duties of the postmen were well de- 
fined and the system worked with astonish- 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

ing smoothness. The mcoming mail reached 
the camp early in the afternoon, and at about 
three o'clock the postman from each barrack 
presented himself at the official bureau. 
Here he secured all the letters addressed to 
the inmates of the barrack to which he was 
attached. Returning to the barrack, the let- 
ters were again sorted, those for the horse 
boxes in one pile and those for the lofts in 
another. The latter were handed over in bulk 
to a sub-postmaster attached to the loft, 
who, when he received his bag of letters, be- 
came the center of a clamoring crowd of in- 
mates and from his point of vantage called 
out the names and delivered his mail on the 
spot. The arrival of the post in the loft is 
a unique memory ; the overwrought inmates 
would loiter about, scarcely able to restrain 
their excited expectancy of a letter from 
home, and when the mail arrived there was 
a wild rush and frenzied hubbub around the 
postman. When a man's name was called 
he gave a yell of triumph, seized the letter, 
and, almost mad with delight, tore the en- 
velope into shreds to secure the contents, 
which he read and re-read with a joy that is 

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indescribable. The saddest sight was the de- 
jection upon the faces of those for whom no 
letter had come. They would slouch to some 
quiet corner almost on the verge of collapse, 
and sit there moping, and even give way to 
tears over the bitter disappointment. A letter 
from the homeland, no matter from whom 
it came — relative, friend or stranger — acted 
as a tonic of the most bracing description. 
It must not be forgotten that the mail is the 
solitary frail link with Britain, and if those 
at home could possibly take a peep at a bar- 
rack when the mail comes in, they would not 
fail to be so impressed by the vivid contrast 
of unrestrained delight and utter dejection, 
that they would undertake to write a note, 
no matter how brief, to at least one prisoner 
every day. It is the one vehicle for trans- 
porting a prisoner from the deep miseries of 
Hades to the delights of Paradise. 

Downstairs, among the horse boxes, we 
were quick to seize upon any and every 
little tradition linked with home, to convey 
the illusion of being in Britain instead of a 
German prison camp. The letters were 
sorted out and grouped according to the in- 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

mates of each box. Then a box-to-box de- 
livery was practiced. The postman went his 
round with his bag, gave the familiar re- 
sounding rat-a-tat-tat, and when the door 
was opened, handed the missives to their 
rightful owners or left them in charge of the 
orderly. The pleasing fiction not only af- 
forded us infinite amusement but contribu- 
ted materially to the success of our organi- 
zation. 

Collection was also made daily. The let- 
ters were posted in the barrack pillar box and 
duly cleared by the postman. He kept a 
register of the names of the inmates of each 
barrack and the posting of each letter or card 
was recorded. This was done for two rea- 
sons. In the first place it offered evidence 
of posting, and secondly, it enabled us to keep 
within the rules, since the postman was able 
to see, by referring to his records, whether 
a writer was sending more than the per- 
mitted number during the month. If the 
communication was in excess, it was re- 
turned to the sender to be re-posted at a later 
date if he felt so inclined. 

The letters were then taken to the official 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY^ 

bureau and surrendered to the authorities. 
The latter also kept a register, which was 
religiously maintained, to keep check upon 
each prisoner's dispatches, their number, and 
dates of mailing. By initiating our system we 
saved the authorities considerable trouble, as 
it was quite impossible to smuggle through a 
letter or card over the proper number. In- 
deed, we suppressed all endeavors in this di- 
rection, since otherwise continuous and bitter 
friction would have prevailed between the 
authorities and the prisoners. After having 
been received by the authorities, the letters 
were passed on to the censor, and upon meet- 
ing with his approval were dispatched to the 
homeland. All correspondence was subject 
to one official rule — it was detained in the 
camp for ten days after posting, for "mili- 
tary reasons." Consequently it takes from 
three weeks to a month for a letter to pass 
between a prisoner and home. I might men- 
tion that, although restrictions are imposed 
concerning the number of communications 
which shall be sent by a prisoner during the 
month, there are no limitations as to the 
number received. 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

Despite the enormous volume of corre- 
spondence handled, I must confess that 
losses of letters, so far as I can testify from 
my period of incarceration, were very few 
and far between. The authorities were ex- 
ceedingly fair and straightforward. 

The system of handling the prisoners' par- 
cels was also free from criticism, although it 
naturally underwent improvement when we 
were able to participate in the scheme. The 
authorities provided a special siding at Span- 
dau in which the vehicles laden with our 
goods were shunted. These trucks were 
cleared once a day, a special cart being re- 
tained in the camp for their transference 
from rail to the official bureau. While 
horses sometimes served for haulage, upon 
other occasions the prisoners themselves 
were recruited to serve in this capacity, but 
this was a task which was shouldered will- 
ingly, as it was to our own benefit. As at 
least 4,000 to 8,000— afterwards from 12,000 
to 15,000 — parcels* came to hand every 
twenty-four hours it will be seen that this 
enterprise was one of considerable magni- 

* Parcels are now sent to prisoners in bulk through the 
Central Organization. — H. C. M. 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

tude, and I must state, in justice to the au- 
thorities, that every care was taken of the 
articles entrusted to them for the prisoners. 
So far as is known, very few parcels, from 
the moment they were taken over at the 
frontier by the Teuton Government, were 
ever lost, although some of them reached the 
camp in a battered condition owing to indif- 
ferent packing. In the early days there was 
a slight outburst of indignation. A consign- 
ment of parcels failed to reach the camp. 
Their transportation had been entrusted to a 
private organization — not of German origin 
I might mention — which has always made a 
feature of parading its celerity of dispatch 
and prompt delivery. Nothing was heard of 
the goods for some weeks. Then they were 
suddenly discovered, tucked away in an odd 
corner of one of the firm's depots. By the 
time these parcels reached the camp a con- 
siderable proportion of the contents were 
inedible. After this experience the authori- 
ties decided to assume complete responsi- 
bility for the transit and delivery of all goods 
destined for the prisoners, and the system 
has worked satisfactorily ever since. 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

Under official administration our one com- 
plaint was the tedious wait in the queue out- 
side the parcel office. I have known a pris- 
oner to v^rait three hours before reaching 
the building. But we succeeded in reducing 
the period of waiting to a very marked de- 
gree. Every morning about seven o'clock, 
a list of the prisoners for whom parcels had 
arrived was written out in alphabetical order 
and posted upon the notice board enclosing 
the boiler-house. Needless to say, prisoners 
expecting parcels used to gather round this 
board an hour or more before the list was 
sent up. Each prisoner would run down the 
announcement under the initial letter of his 
name and ascertain what there was for him. 
Perhaps one or two, and sometimes even 
more, were reported. He then proceeded to 
the office, taking up his position in the queue, 
which often stretched for several hundred 
yards. The first duty was to secure a ticket 
entitling him to the parcel. The attendant, 
after making sure that the request was in 
order, gave him a ticket, for which we inau- 
gurated a charge of ten pfennigs (one penny) 
— this was subsequently reduced to one half- 

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penny — which went into the Common Fund. 
Receiving the ticket the prisoner surren- 
dered one half of it at another window, thus 
establishing the first link in the chain of 
claim and receipt. Then he presented him- 
self at the window coinciding with his initial 
to receive his goods. 

All handling of parcels was carried out 
under military supervision. Upon arrival 
they were sorted out according to the initial 
letter of the surname and placed in a bin cor- 
respondingly labelled. Say, for instance, I 
presented myself at the window. The sec- 
ond half of my ticket was taken, and the 
parcel for Mahoney withdrawn by a soldier 
from the "M" bin. It was brought to the 
counter and unpacked before an officer. The 
latter made an examination, and no pro- 
hibited article being found, the dismantled 
parcel was pushed over to me, and I was 
permitted to take it away. Once I had sur- 
rendered the second half of my ticket and 
had received the parcel, all liability upon the 
part of the German Government ceased. If 
any contraband were included it was merely 
confiscated. The system is simple and thor- 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

ough. No parcel is ever touched by the au- 
thorities until it is opened before the eyes 
of the consignee, so that no complaints of 
losses in transit canine made. 

We were permitted to co-operate to a 
certain degree with the authorities in hand- 
ling the parcels, but our staff was never suf- 
fered to open, or to touch, the contents. The 
result of our action was to expedite the clear- 
ing of the office, this generally being accom- 
plished, even on the busiest days, in about 
two hours, while we always succeeded in cop- 
ing with all parcels upon the day of receipt. 
In this way we were able to reduce the so- 
journ in the queue to tolerable limits. If a 
man took up his position in the waiting 
crowd and left before his name was called 
and then presented himself at a later hour, 
he was fined one penny for his remissness, 
inasmuch as he had caused a certain amount 
of trouble. The only exception to this rule 
occurred when operations had to be sus- 
pended to enable the attendant soldiers to 
take their midday meal. Those who were 
still waiting, say, at twelve o'clock, were 
commanded to re-present themselves later, 

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but no fines were exacted, the consequent 
delay being due to the authorities them- 
selves. 



154 



CHAPTER IX. 
LIFE UNDER THE COMMUNE 

The concession of self government, despite 
the limitations imposed by the authorities 
and the military supreme control, effected 
one important result. It caused us to recog- 
nize that our future welfare depended in a 
pronounced measure upon our individual and 
collective efforts. Restraint was certainly 
chafing at times, but occupation is an effect- 
ive gloom-dispeller. As time passed, we 
could not fail to feel the gradual relaxation 
of the rigid and steel-bound regulations. 
Every member of the community was com- 
pelled to tacitly admit that he could become 
a useful member of the community and that 
if everyone did his little bit, imprisonment 
would be robbed of many of its terrors. 

The authorities were quick to perceive our 
amenability to law and order, combined with 

155 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

adaptability to circumstances, no matter how 
depressing they might be. The soldiers, dur- 
ing their times of leisure and while lounging 
within the camp, often expressed their won- 
der at our atmosphere of joviality and ap- 
parent content as prisoners. Making the 
best of things was an attitude beyond their 
understanding. 

Crime was unknown in Ruhleben, and 
bearing in mind the cosmopolitan character 
of the four or five thousand prisoners, drawn 
from every conceivable class of society, this 
was certainly amazing. More than one of 
our number had "done time" in England, but 
here the predatory instinct seemed to have 
become stifled. Now and again there was a 
slight outbreak of lawlessness, but these 
were few and quickly suppressed. Men who 
infringed the rules came to fear being os- 
tracized by their comrades as much as, if not 
more than, being penalized by the German 
authorities. Of course, devilment was re- 
sponsible for a certain amount of friction 
with officialdom, but these manifestations of 
lawlessness, if such they may be called, were 
rather the direct and outward effect of con- 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

finement. Some of the more irrepressible 
spirits had to give vent to a certain amount 
of exuberance, and at times displayed a 
fiendish delight in thwarting authority, but 
these were suppressed among ourselves and 
without official interference. 

When the military guard was withdrawn 
from within the camp a police force, recru- 
ited from the ranks of the prisoners, was 
brought into being. Subsequently, with the 
coming of the communal system of govern- 
ment, this self-protection became elaborated 
and established upon a firm footing. A police 
force, such as would have done every credit 
to a small British town, was created. It 
was constituted upon the lines practised at 
home, although it may, perhaps, be more 
accurately likened to our special constabu- 
lary, introduced at the outbreak of war, see- 
ing that the duty was quite honorary. There 
was a "chief," with the usual array of sub- 
ordinate officers ; the force, when fully con- 
stituted, numbering 45 strong. The utmost 
care was observed in selecting the right men 
for this peculiar, and at times, extremely 
delicate enterprise. As a matter of fact, it 

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was regarded as a signal honor to be selected 
a policeman, and there was spirited competi- 
tion for a vacancy when it occurred. 

The camp was patrolled night and day, the 
constables after dark, proceeding upon their 
duties in pairs. The authorities readily as- 
sented to this action, once its beneficial ef- 
fects became apparent, and co-operated with 
us. The insignia of office was a blue and 
white armlet worn round the cuff when on 
duty, together with a small enamel badge 
carried in the lapel of the coat. Further- 
more, a certificate was presented to each 
member. In the early days the night work 
was somewhat unenviable, especially when 
the weather was unkind, but directly sou- 
westers were supplied from the Common 
Fund, defiance could be safely hurled at the 
elements, even when they were most unpro- 
pitious. For night duty we were supplied 
with a small electric flash-lamp, but we were 
not allowed to carry a defensive weapon of 
any description, not even a baton. Fortu- 
nately, so far as my experience was con- 
cerned, the occasion never arose to display 
force of any description. 

158 







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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

Perhaps our system was somewhat unique 
in one respect. We w^ere allotted specific 
terms of duty. The constable going off duty 
proceeded to his barrack to call the colleague 
who was to follow him, and accom- 
panied him to the police station. The first- 
named then "signed off," and was quite free 
until his next spell came round. 

Our duties were of the most varied des- 
cription. During the daytime we controlled 
the queues which lined up outside the shops, 
the parcel office, the theatre in the evening, 
and so on. We had to see that the many 
regulations were obeyed, especially at night- 
time, and to conduct all those breaking 
bounds back to their barracks. Warnings 
generally sufficed to reveal to the irrepres- 
sible the folly of their ways, and they in- 
variably accepted our suggestion to return 
to their quarters. No one but the police was 
permitted to roam the camp after the pre- 
scribed hour, and even the civil constabulary 
had to acknowledge the higher authority of 
the military. While patrolling it was by no 
means uncommon for a challenge to be 
hurled from a soldier outside, upon detecting 

^59 



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sign of movement within the camp. '^Poli- 
sei!" went the retort, to which was returned 
a cheery ''Good-night!" 

During the daytime our work was some- 
times more strenuous, especially when the 
water became a nuisance after a severe rain- 
storm. Then the police set to digging ditches 
to allow the accumulation to escape from the 
causeways, and this was no light task. But 
after the main road was driven through the 
heart of the camp, the necessity of becoming 
navvies upon occasion was eliminated. 

We became so effective in our work that 
the military did not hesitate to call upon us 
for assistance when faced with a difficult 
task. One of the shops in the camp was 
owned by a German woman. She paid 1,000 
marks — ^£50 — to secure possession, a fapt 
that will convey an idea of the commercial 
possibilities within the cp^mp. But something 
or other went wrong, causing the military 
to intervene. The cause I never fathomed. 
The guard closed the woman's shop and then 
bundled her out of it. She was carrying a 
valuable stock, which the military demanded 
should be removed instantly. To ensure this 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

being done the authorities went so far as to 
eject the contents themselves, but owing to 
insufficient strength, they called upon the 
civil police to lend a hand, the operations be- 
ing conducted under the surveillance of an 
officer. The woman was turned out of the 
camp, lock, stock and barrel, was forced to 
rest content with what goods she could re- 
cover, and was warned that if she were 
caught in the vicinity she would speedily 
learn that German authority was not to be 
defied. The next day the shop was re-opened 
under entirely new management, with a new 
stock. 

While the police within the camp were 
conceded certain privileges, the boundary 
was sharply defined. Two incidents I can 
recall will serve to illustrate the rigor of 
Teuton military control, and the absolute 
indifference of the authorities to any extenu- 
ating circumstances. One afternoon, while 
returning to my barrack, I ran into a col- 
league of the force. He looked absolutely 
dejected and miserable. I undertook to re- 
lieve him of police duty that night. Then he 
narrated how he had received a letter from 

i6i 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

home saying his father was dying. He was 
urgently wanted to complete certain negotia- 
tions concerning the transfer of his father's 
business to him, the son. This man had lived 
in Germany nearly all his life, was well 
known in German commercial circles, and 
the business at stake was one of consider- 
able importance. He asked permission to 
return home for a few hours, but was put 
off, though not openly refused, until the final 
decision of the authorities became immate- 
rial. His father died while he was awaiting 
a decision. What became of the business 
was never known. 

Another prisoner, also a resident for many 
years in Germany, received a letter inform- 
ing him that his wife was ill and was not ex- 
pected to recover. She was a German, but 
at first this fact did not weigh with the au- 
thorities one iota. However, his persistence 
brought about a certain degree of relaxation. 
The authorities would permit him to return 
home for a day or two, provided he defrayed 
the cost of the journey, as well as the travel- 
ling expenses and maintenance of a soldier 
who would accompany him as escort. 

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"But I haven't a cent in the camp !" he pro- 
tested. ''Grant me a pass, and I'll pay when 
I return." 

But authority would not listen. The terms 
had been stated. The prisoner could accept 
or refuse them as he felt disposed. 

The man was in a quandary, and those of 
us who were familiar with the situation 
feared that he would become demented, as 
he moped and reflected upon his wife's con- 
dition. Thereupon we whipped round, made 
a collection, secured sufficient funds to en- 
able him to comply with the official require- 
ments, and he departed home, radiant at our 
expression of practical sympathy, but with 
the soldier at his heels. He returned to camp 
within the specified time, but the soldier's 
holiday had been a somewhat expensive item, 
the relaxation from rigorous military duty 
and living being appreciated by the escort to 
the full. 

Gambling was strictly forbidden in the 
camp, and the police were entrusted with the 
difficult task of suppressing it. Seeing that 
cards were played in the sanctuary of a pri- 
vate horse box or under the protection of an 

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outpost, who gave the alarm at the first 
glimpse of the police, it was impossible to 
entirely suppress this form of amusement. 
At one time gambling obtained a very firm 
foothold in the camp. In many instances the 
cards were secured by some roundabout ex- 
pedient ; in others they were homemade and 
so diminutive that they could be slipped into 
the waistcoat pocket without attracting at- 
tention. 

As a rule, the most formidable misde- 
meanor with which we had to contend was 
drunkenness, but as may be imagined, such 
troubles were very rare for the simple reason 
that, owing to the rigid regulations, alcohol 
was difficult to procure within the camp. 
Now and again a bottle of whiskey would be 
smuggled in, at a prohibitive figure. The 
small parties who were able to get hold of 
this generally imbibed freely if unwisely, and 
consequently brought themselves within 
reach of the law. The punishment for 
drunkenness was excessively severe and the 
delinquents as a rule were not too intract- 
able, so we generally succeeded in getting 
them back to their barracks without the 

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authorities becoming aware of their delin- 
quency. 

But one outbreak brought its due reward. 
Two of the least orderly members of the 
community happened to hear that the cellars 
of the grandstand were packed with alcoholic 
liquors, the property of the restaurant, and 
reserved for use on racing and gala days. 
They broke into this cellar, went the pace for 
all they were worth, and became disorderly 
and irresponsible. The military found them 
wandering through the camp, and they were 
at once hauled off to the guard-room. Next 
day they were taken before the authorities 
and promptly given the exemplary sentence 
of three months. 

Although we maintained a police force we 
were denied the right to establish a magi- 
stracy to deal with even the most trivial of- 
fences. The authorities firmly denied us this 
concession, maintaining that it would under- 
mine the military supremacy since we na- 
turally would be prone to regard a punish- 
able offence in a different light from that of 
the authorities. Serious cases were promptly 
referred to the civil authorities at Berlin, 

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were given a trial according to German judi- 
cial procedure, and sentenced by a magi- 
strate. 

I keenly appreciated police duty while I 
was on the force, since it came as a welcome 
break in the daily round of toil, but at last I 
reluctantly relinquished my connection. It 
happened in this way. I was on duty one 
night when I suddenly descried a man, fully 
clothed, slinking in the shadows and making 
his way toward the prison fence. I guessed 
at once that it was a prisoner attempting to 
escape, and at the same time realized the fu- 
tility of his effort. When I accosted him, he 
thought all was up. I cross-examined him 
closely and he confessed his intentions, main- 
taining that internment was affecting him to 
such an extent that he believed he would go 
mad if he stayed another night in the bar- 
rack. I saw that the man's mind was fully 
made up and I was between two stools : as a 
policeman it was part of my duty to place 
the man under arrest and to denounce him to 
the authorities, since we were particularly 
requested to suppress — in fact, to report — 
any attempt. On the other hand, I was f ret- 

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ting from incarceration as much as he, and 
as there was not a man among us who would 
not have made a bolt for it at the first fa- 
vorable opportunity, I decided that I should 
be in error if I performed my ostensible duty. 

Observing the man's excited condition I 
prevailed upon him to return to his barrack 
and to lie down, otherwise, if he were not 
careful, he would be prostrated with illness. 
He demurred at first, but when I explained 
to him that he was not in a fit condition to 
make the attempt, and that owing to his 
highly strung nerves and excitement he 
would be caught before he had gone a hun- 
dred yards — to escape from Ruhleben de- 
manded remarkable presence of mind, cun- 
ning, and one's wits sharpened to razor-edge 
keenness — he finally accepted my advice. I 
escorted him back to his "diggings" and saw 
him made snug and comfortable. 

My reflections over the incident were not 
of the happiest. I, myself, I must confess, 
was nursing a scheme to get away, and con- 
cluded that it would be traitorous to betray a 
colleague. There and then I decided to re- 
sign from the force, and communicated my 

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intentions to my sergeant before going off 
duty. Moreover, I knew that the prisoner 
whom I had caught would make an attempt 
to be off possibly the next night. If I hap- 
pened to be on duty at the time, I felt that I 
should be compelled to turn a blind eye in his 
direction. But to have done so would have 
jeopardised the very existence of the police 
force. The Germans were uncannily astute 
in their control of us. If they shoula catch 
the runaway, as I felt positive they would, 
they would be able to trace his movements, 
and to such perfection as to deduce the time 
when he broke out of the camp. Then, nat- 
urally, their first enquiry would be concern- 
ing the whereabouts of the night patrol at 
that time. Explanations might be vouch- 
safed, but I knew sufficient of German nature 
to see that they would unhesitatingly accuse 
the policeman who happened to be on duty as 
particularly remiss, if not an actual acces- 
sory to the act, and would probably decide 
to re-assume the internal guard, which we 
did not desire. Moreover, I had no wish to 
make acquaintance with another German 
prison and its maddening solitary confine- 

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ment. So the police force knew me no more. 
My resignation was timely, because almost 
immediately after, the opportunity for which 
I had been patiently waiting to secure my 
return to Britain suddenly revealed itself. 
I embarked upon this hazardous enterprise, 
confident that I was not imperilling any of 
my comrades, or abusing any position of 
trust by my self-preserving action. While, 
according to the lyrist, "a policeman's life is 
not a happy one," I certainly derived distinct 
pleasure from serving on the force at Ruh- 
leben. 

Although the authorities fed us accord- 
ing to their own standards, we could supple- 
ment this meager monotonous fare if we pos- 
sessed the requisite funds, and were in the 
position to take advantage of our situation. 
The Casino was available to the postman, to 
those who were given a "pass" by the doctor, 
and to others within certain limits. This 
establishment was under private control. 
Here one could get a dinner, comprising a 
small portion of meat, gravy, and two vege- 
tables, at 3s. 6d. a head. If one knew the 
ropes this could be washed down wnth wine, 

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and sometimes with something stronger, 
hailing from Scotland, although the latter 
cost 15s. a bottle. A prisoner acted as waiter, 
and he was always ready to assist us as far as 
he was able. The hours were from 6 to 7 and 
7 to 8 p.m., the diners being served in two 
batches. Needless to say I became an habi- 
tue of this establishment. Occasionally, to 
foster an illusion of home, we did things in 
style. We used to form a festive dinner 
party at the Casino, paying a visit to the 
theater afterwards. We could not get to the 
West-end of London, so contented ourselves 
with our imagination, supported by some ap- 
pearance of gay life and the White Way, and 
had a "night out." 

At length the proprietor tumbled into hot 
water. The authorities got wind that he was 
making a good thing out of his illicit wine 
list and came down upon him suddenly and 
unexpectedly. He received short shrift, was 
hustled out of the camp, his store of liquors 
was discovered and confiscated, and he pad- 
ded the hoof to pastures new, a wiser if 
poorer man. After remaining closed for a 
few days, the establishment was re-opened 

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under a new management, and with the 
strings of officialdom pulled more tightly 
round it. But the Casino was one of those 
little attributes to the camp which made a 
prisoner's life somewhat more endurable — 
if he possessed the wherewithal to go the 
pace. In my instance, I found it indispen- 
sable, for although the food was very ex- 
pensive, its superiority to the official camp 
food could not be gainsaid, and my health in 
Ruhleben was never so excellent as when I 
was able to take advantage of the good, if 
limited, fare which the Casino offered. 

Under communal government it became 
possible for everyone within the camp to ful- 
fil some useful service, either to individual 
profit, or to the benefit of the community as 
a whole. Consequently, once the scheme had 
got into its stride, very few slackers were to 
be found. There were certainly no drones, 
because we discovered that occupation, no 
matter how trivial it might seem, served as 
food to the mind, and acted as an effective 
palliative against moping and dejection. 
Possibly the one phase of effort which at- 
tracted the greatest attention and achieved 

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the most impressive success was education. 
A powerful committee was formed, and the 
curriculum embraced virtually every subject 
under the sun, from teaching the rudiments 
of English to the dusky members of the com- 
munity, who hailed from the darkest corners 
of the Empire, to trigonometry; archaeology 
to arithmetic; microscopy to carpentering; 
navigation to the study of languages, both 
live and dead. 

An expert in every field of education was 
to be found to serve as tutor, while there was 
a ready response of pupils. The system was 
very simple. Those who were prepared to 
teach were enrolled as tutors. Classes were 
arranged and scheduled so as to keep the 
building set aside for this purpose going at 
full pressure from early morning until late 
at night. No fees were officially exacted, 
although a nominal fee of five shillings per 
course was instituted. But, as many of the 
prisoners were so placed as to render the pay- 
ment of even such an insignificant sum a 
hardship, it was not demanded. On the 
other hand, those of us who were in a su- 
perior financial position were expected to 

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contribute towards the support of the 
scheme, and were always ready to do so. The 
fees were paid into the Common Fund, and 
assisted in the acquisition of the requisite 
materials and books. The majority of the 
tutors themselves fulfilled their tasks free of 
all remuneration. If private lessons were de- 
sired tutors were free to give them and in 
this instance they were at liberty to impose 
what charges they considered adequate. 
Private tuition was not controlled by the 
educational committees, and consequently 
the fees paid for such work went into the 
tutors' pockets. 

The schoolroom was the loft of Barrack 
6. This had formerly been tenanted by sev- 
eral prisoners in the usual manner, but the 
American Ambassador, upon one of his visits 
of inspection, condemned it as unfit for hu- 
man habitation, since it was nothing but a 
black hole. He ordered the residents to be 
removed and accommodated elsewhere. It 
remained vacant until at last the educational 
committee decided to put it to use. Electric 
lighting was installed, while the space was 
divided into classrooms by the aid of canvas 

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partitions. When transformed the school 
presented a fairly attractive appearance, and 
proved ideal for the purpose. 

A notice was posted at the entrance setting 
forth the times at which the various classes 
were held. The subjects were so numerous 
that the loft was taxed to its utmost capacity 
throughout the whole day and far into the 
evening. No difficulty was experienced in 
finding competent teachers for the various 
subjects; the camp swarmed with brains. 
The interned sea captains and marine officers 
taught navigation ; a microscopist was found 
for this subject ; and so on. 

I, myself, contrived to squeeze in a period 
of my busy day to teach the "blacks'* the 
rudiments of English. For the most part, 
these prisoners were numbered among the 
crews of the British ships lying in port at the 
time war was declared, and were first trans- 
ferred to the hulks at Hamburg, and finally 

sent en masse to Ruhleben. The majority 
either knew but a few words of English, or 

could not speak the language at all, while 

in one or two instances they could only point 

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to a smattering of German, in addition to 
their respective dialects. 

One man, a native of Sierra Leone, was 
totally ignorant of any v^ords beyond his na- 
tive tongue; he had fallen a victim to the 
fortunes of war on his first voyage. 

These pupils proved extremely attentive 
and persevering, and by the time I left the 
greater number were able to read, write and 
speak simple English quite fluently. Just 
before my departure each sent me a letter 
thanking me for what I had done. The lan- 
guage was naive, but its very simplicity was 
impressive and aroused the favorable com- 
ment of one of the chief officials of the 
camp. I asked permission to take these let- 
ters away with me, but as it was against 
regulations this was not allowed, although 
the officer confessed that had the matter 
been left to his personal discrimination he 
would readily have handed them over to me. 
He undertook to do the next best thing; he 
sealed them in a package, with my name and 
address attached as that of the owner of 
the contents and placed them in safe keeping 

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so that I might be sure of receiving them 
when peace had been restored. 

The study of languages was the most 
popular recreation among the prisoners, es- 
pecially those of middle age. There were a 
number of accomplished linguists among us, 
and it was possible to secure a competent 
tutor in any civilized tongue. The students 
could be seen any day squatting in their 
bunks or in odd corners, deeply immersed in 
grammars, endeavoring to subjugate the dif- 
ficulties in peace and quiet; others walked 
about the camp memorizing the lessons. A 
visit to the grandstand sufficed to reveal one 
way in which languages were being mastered 
under private tuition. "Professors" might 
be seen pacing to and fro, with a pupil on 
either side, explaining rules, repeating idi- 
oms, memorizing conjugations and convers- 
ing. It was an uncanny babel: French, 
Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Ger- 
man, Chinese and English sharing honors. 

Even practical or technical education was 
not omitted from the list. Necessary appli- 
ances within limits were installed, and the 
work was conducted along practical lines. 

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Thus, for instance, the carpentry class was a 
combination of theory and practice. The 
camp maintained a carpenter who was a 
skilled man in his craft, to do odd jobs. The 
pupils accompanied him on his rounds, learn- 
ing both by following his operations and b}^ 
participating in the work. The boilerhouse 
proved an excellent training ground for those 
who embraced the subjects of engineering 
and electricity. The establishment and 
working of our own local government offered 
a valuable object lesson to those interested 
in organization, and business training was 
not neglected. As a matter of fact, every 
prisoner engaged in the mastery of some 
trade or accomplishment. 

The official program laid down when the 
government was first established was some- 
what limited in its scope, but as time passed, 
it grew with striking rapidity. A host of 
suggestions were submitted to extend the 
curriculum and the sphere of operations, 
with the result that the "civil authorities" 
as the camp government was colloquially 
known, were induced to embark upon many 

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enterprises never contemplated in the begin- 
ning. 

There was one problem that became the 
concern of every prisoner. This vvras his 
teeth. In the first days of our imprisonment 
nearly all of our food had been of the sop 
variety. Soup virtually constituted the 
staple diet, and in order to render the bread 
more palatable, we invariably broke it into 
pieces and allowed it to soak in the liquid. 
We were provided with neither spoons, 
knives nor forks, and so were compelled to 
drink the contents of the basins. At a later 
date we were able to secure these utensils at 
our own expense. It is not surprising, there- 
fore, that the question of teeth promised to 
assume alarming significance and it was only 
by unceasing attention that dental troubles 
did not reach overwhelming proportions. 
The authorities never provided us v/ith a 
skilled dentist except at our own expense. 
The doctor, naturally, was of no use in this 
regard, and consequently, those who failed 
to devote the necessary attention to their 
teeth soon regretted it. 

I fell a victim to a decaying molar that 

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racked me night and day. Upon making in- 
quiries among the prisoners I was recom- 
mended to an individual who was said to be 
a skilled dentist. At last I tracked him to his 
quarters, and an appointment was made to 
deal with my irreclaimable tooth. I do not 
suppose an offending molar has ever been 
extracted under such extraordinary condi- 
tions. I kept the appointment, and it was at 
the hour that the occupants — six in all — of 
the horse-box were having their midday 
meal. But this did not perturb the dentist. 
He jumped up immediately, rummaged 
among his belongings for his instruments, 
and forthwith wrestled with my tooth, while 
his comrades continued eating their meal as 
unconcernedly as if I were miles away. It 
was an exciting and prolonged tussle, with 
the odds on the tooth, while I must confess 
that it was not free from considerable per- 
sonal discomfort. Six times the dentist made 
his attack upon my jaw, and six times was 
forced to retreat, but with a fragment of 
the molar as a prize on each occasion. Nat- 
urally, there was a grim struggle between 
the dentist and myself, which at times 

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threatened to overthrow the table, but the 
prisoners did not pause in their meal, except 
to dodge the flying evidences of the opera- 
tion. I think all of us v^ere mighty glad 
when the extraction was decided to have been 
completed. 

But this did not bring me the expected re- 
lief. Within an hour or two my face began 
to swell and the pain became excruciating. 
I could not touch a morsel of food, nor could 
I snatch a wink of sleep. I tolerated the 
agony for five days, and then I was told of 
a second prisoner who was also a dentist. I 
ferreted him out. He carefully examined my 
mouth, and then comforted me with the in- 
formation that something serious had de- 
veloped. I asked him to come to my relief, 
but he resolutely declined, although he pos- 
sessed his complete outfit of instruments, 
saying that it was totally impossible for any 
man to practise this delicate art in the camp, 
owing to the complete lack of facilities, and 
hinted that it would have been better had the 
instruments used on my jaw been sterilized. 
A third prisoner, who specialized in this pro- 
fession, and whom I consulted, expressed 

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a similar opinion, commenting that he 
"thought blood poisoning had set in!" 

Back I trotted to the prisoner who had 
pulled my mouth about so unceremoniously 
He had another probe, declared that every 
piece of the molar had been removed, but w^as 
unable to give me any advice as to how to 
treat the wound, inflamed and suppurating, 
which had resulted. I was in a quandary, 
especially when one of the other dentists, 
upon a second consultation advised me to 
place myself in the hands of the authorities, 
and submit to a delicate surgical operation in 
a properly equipped institution either at 
Spandau or Berlin. 

This was the very thing of which I had 
been in dread. Had I reported myself 
to the doctor, he would instantly have re- 
quested the name of the prisoner who had as- 
sumed the responsibilities of practising den- 
tistry in the camp. This was absolutely 
forbidden by the regulations. To denounce 
the dentist was to expose him to a term of 
three months' imprisonment. I had no desire 
to compromise a fellow-prisoner, so I de- 
cided to treat the injury myself, at least for 

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a time, and my comrades in the horse-box 
in which we were then residing, gave assis- 
tance ungrudgingly. My efforts were suc- 
cessful, so that the denouement, which at one 
time appeared to be inevitable, was avoided. 
But I never submitted myself again to the 
tender mercies of a Ruhleben expert dentist, 
practising surreptitiously ! 

The teeth issue assumed such a serious 
aspect as to precipitate a crisis. Then it was 
decided to establish a dental hospital upon a 
small scale within the camp. The authori- 
ties raised no objection to the proposal so 
long as they were not called upon to con- 
tribute financially towards the scheme. A 
building was set aside, and this was equipped 
with everything of the very latest type, at 
our own expense, supplemented by practical 
assistance from the American Embassy. The 
two dentists whom I had consulted during 
lily tooth trouble, and who had refused assis- 
tance owing to the unfavorable conditions, 
were appointed dental surgeons, and from 
that moment all anxiety in regard to teeth 
vanished. The equipment of this dental sur- 
gery probably constituted one of the most 

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costly individual enterprises ever attempted 
in the camp, but the results achieved fully 
justified the expenditure incurred. 

Eye trouble was another physical ailment 
that occasioned considerable anxiety. The 
authorities attempted to meet this issue by 
delegating an eye specialist to visit us. We 
were to pay for all treatment received. 
However, the scheme was never a success, 
for the official oculist was not popular. 
When his services were enlisted, he would 
remark, "Oh! You want an examination of 
the eye ! Well, it will be 7s. 6d. !" And he 
would not lift a finger until the fee was paid. 
The charge was considered to be extortion- 
ate; the majority of prisoners could not af- 
ford it, so suffered in silence. That oculist 
certainly failed to build up a flourishing and 
lucrative practice in Ruhleben. 

Many of the prisoners have contracted 
short-sightedness, cataract, or some other 
eye disease, due entirely to the lack of ade- 
quate lighting facilities within the barracks, 
indifferent food, and wretched sanitation. I 
have seen prisoners striving to write and 
read under the scanty illumination offered by 

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a hard-puffed cigarette, or crouching as 
closely as they could against the dirt-be- 
grimed tiny window through which the day- 
light endeavored valiantly to struggle. The 
gloominess of the lofts, which was never 
entirely dispelled, even with electric light- 
ing, taxed the powers of the eye to an 
enormous degree. Few prisoners will come 
back from Ruhleben without permanent- 
ly defective eyesight, the direct result 
of the abominable conditions which pre- 
vailed in the camp. This was one of 
the shortcomings which the communal 
government was unable to remedy, although 
on more than one occasion it was suggested 
that we should establish our own eye hospital 
with competent oculists selected from the 
prisoners themselves, if such were to be 
found, or maintain the appointment of a 
competent German specialist out of the Com- 
mon Fund. But the recommendation never 
proceeded beyond the projected stage, prob- 
ably owing to the cost. 

The civil authorities did succeed in found- 
ing a lazaret within the camp. It was estab- 
lished close to the official doctor's bureau, so 

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that this worthy had merely to exert himself 
to the extent of walking through a door in 
the wall. This hospital was equipped on a 
comfortable scale, and was infinitely superior 
to the official establishment provided for 
cases demanding surgical treatment. But, 
unfortunately, the provision of this indispen- 
sable auxiliary only served to render the in- 
estimable doctor more indifferent than ever, 
although there was a certain manifestation 
of method in his madness. If he were sum- 
moned to attend a patient lying in his bunk 
he would refuse to visit him. If we told him 
that the patient was unable to come to the 
surgery, he merely retorted that under such 
circumstances the "man ought to be in the 
hospital." When we pointed out that he was 
not so sick as to demand removal to the hos- 
pital, he then replied, "If the case is not suf- 
ficiently serious to warrant hospital treat- 
ment then the patient is well enough to visit 
the surgery!" So it will be seen that the 
official had us both ways. Many a sick man 
would willingly have gone to the hospital 
to ensure a visit from the doctor, but hesi- 
tated because he did not want to tax the 



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facilities of this small institution, feeling 
that it should be reserved for those who 
were in more serious need of such atten- 
tion. If every sick man, to force the 
doctor's hand, had gone to the hospital, 
it would have been continually over- 
crowded, while the waiting list would 
have been sufficiently long to have kept 
every bed occupied for months. 

It was the establishment of autonomous 
government which made life in Ruhleben 
more bearable. The inauguration of trad- 
ing enabled us to gratify whims and fancies, 
and allowed us to render our unenviable resi- 
dences more comfortable. Thus, when the 
party, six all told, of which I was a member, 
moved from the loft to a horse-box, the au- 
thorities granted us three beds, or apologies 
for beds, merely boards nailed to battens, and 
raised a few inches above the floor, with 
straw — subsequently wooden shavings- 
stuffed into a sack to form a mattress. Yet 
three of us were forced to be content with 
the couch the floor itself offered, and this in 
defiance of the fiat issued by the American 
Ambassador, that every prisoner's bed was 

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to be clear of the stone paving. However, 
we remedied the deficiency ourselves. We 
purchased the necessary material and fash- 
ioned three extra beds. Then I bought a 
powerful acetylene lamp, which I used to 
light my business premises, but took home 
with me every night to flood our apartment 
with a brilliant illumination. At a later date 
we secured batteries, and wired our horse- 
box, to provide a small electric light over 
each bed, which, provided with an inde- 
pendent switch, enabled any one of us to 
read and write after the others had 
retired to rest, and that without dis- 
turbing them by general illumination. 
Little embellishments were continually 
being introduced, but entirely through 
our own efforts and at our own expense, the 
upshot being that ultimately our flat was as 
snug and cosy as a prisoner could wish. If 
only the feeling of confinement had been less 
irksome, the food adequate in quantity and 
appetising in quality, and the atmosphere 
within the barracks less reminiscent of a 
sewer, life in Ruhleben would have been 
comparatively happy. 

187 



CHAPTER X. 

OUTDOOR RECREATION 

During the closing weeks of the year 1914, 
life at Ruhleben was intensely dreary. There 
was nothing with which we could while 
away the many hours of enforced leisure; 
the only forms of recreation available were 
promenades up and down before the grand- 
stand to the monotonous thunder of the guns 
undergoing test at Spandau, tag, and other 
similarly juvenile games. 

The camp conjured up vivid memories of 
the congested corners of our towns and 
cities. The "lungs" were extremely limited 
and the only open space was before the 
grandstand. During bad weather even this 
was unavailable, and when the weather 
broke the utter aimlessness of our existence 
had driven our spirits to low ebb and we had 
little heart for amusement. 

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The greatest excitement, as already men- 
tioned, was derived from a ball contrived of 
rags. It was something to kick and throw 
about, and we indulged to the full in the 
game of rounders, which afforded us a cer- 
tain amount of the exercise of which we 
were in need. When a rubber ball was ob- 
tained, we became as excited as children and 
a game of modified baseball became the sub- 
ject of keen interest. But even the best of 
games becomes tiresome when pursued hour 
after hour without a break, and so we cud- 
gelled our brains to devise variations and 
novelties so far as the limitations of a single 
rubber ball would allow. 

I have an idea that the lack of excitement 
even palled upon our guards. If they had 
anticipated lively times keeping us in order, 
they were doomed to disappointment, and 
time hung heavily on their hands. "Lining 
up" the prisoners was the most active occu- 
pation left open to them by the authorities, 
and the stentorian order, "Line up," was 
roared so frequently throughout the day 
that it became the joke of the camp. 

"Line up" was the brief order to parade. 

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Every prisoner, no matter where he was or 
what he was doing, had to present himself. 
When we had lined up, we were counted and 
re-counted several times, to make not doubly 
or trebly, but octuply certain that we were 
there. The first line up of the day occurred 
between half past six and half past seven in 
the morning, preparatory to our march to 
the kitchen for breakfast. The time varied 
according to the order in which one's bar- 
rack went to the kitchen. We went in rota- 
tion, at intervals of about fifteen minutes, 
but the arrangements were so conducted 
that the times varied from day to day for 
parading each barrack. For instance. Bar- 
rack 1 would be first on Monday, second on 
Tuesday, third on Wednesday and so on, so 
that each barrack took turns. 

Then came the ^^bread line," the source of 
much amusement among the prisoners dur- 
ing the earliest days, although it assumed a 
pathetic interest some time later when pro- 
visions commenced to grow scarce. We were 
paraded when our allowance of bread was 
sent for and again when it was distributed. 
Certain men were selected to go to the "cub- 

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byhole" serving as the bread store to receive 
in bulk, the ration for a whole barrack. 
There was also a line up before and after the 
midday meal, and another previous to the 
receipt of supper. 

These were the scheduled "line ups," if 
such they may be termed. In addition there 
were what we described as emergency "line 
ups.'' The camp was provided with a bell — 
curfew we dubbed it — which no prisoner was 
permitted to ring unless he was prepared to 
receive a spell of imprisonment for commit- 
ting what was regarded as a serious breach 
of the regulations. Whenever this bell was 
rung every prisoner had to respond immedi- 
ately and to "fall in" on parade. 

The official line ups were regarded toler- 
antly by the prisoners. A certain amount of 
time was occupied in the process, which left 
us so much less to worry away according to 
our inclinations and ingenuity. But the 
emergency parades were regarded with ill- 
concealed ill-humor, because many were use- 
less, and, I believe, were imposed as a test 
upon the guards m_ore than anything else. 
They reminded us of the practice calls at fire 

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stations, though with less purpose. But we 
had to parade, and possibly were called upon 
to withstand a vexatious ordeal. An official 
would stroll up, and possibly treat us to a 
brief harangue upon some topic. At other 
times he would make, as it were, an inven- 
tory of the prisoners, conveying the impres- 
sion that the authorities were engaged in 
sorting us out in preparation for some new 
decisive action, which might be to our bene- 
fit, or possibly lead to speedy release. 

Thus the officer would call out, "How 
many married men here?'' 

Up would go a show of hands from the 
prisoners. 

"How many prisoners have German wives 
in Germany?" 

Another show of hands. 

"How many Irishmen are there here?" 

A further display of hands. 

"How many have businesses in Ger- 
many?" 

And so it went on. Many of the interro- 
gations were so puerile as to be amusing, 
but repetition staled their novelty. 

What little open space we possessed for 



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recreation was naturally reduced when the 
authorities encroached upon it to build two 
further barracks. One of these new resi- 
dences, Barrack 13, was colloquially known 
as the "Blacks' Barracks," as negro pris- 
oners were segregated there. And these 
poor fellows suffered terribly. The building 
was of wood, and although a pipe-heating 
system was installed it was totally inade- 
quate. Those who had lived in tropical cli- 
mates suffered severely. They went about 
in a semi-lifeless condition, and were rav- 
aged by illness; but they preserved a won- 
derful cheerfulness through it all. 

Among the prisoners were several acro- 
bats and gymnasts who suffered intensely 
from the effects of overcrowding. They 
tried courageously to keep in practice but 
were finally compelled to give it up. Acorn 
coffee, black bread and soup form a poor 
diet upon which to prosecute physique-tax- 
ing work. In fact, every prisoner who was 
accustomed in normal times to exercise reg- 
ularly, felt the absence of facilities and the 
low caloric value of the miserable food 
served out to us to an acute degree. 

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One prisoner, whom we nicknamed "the 
Cat," absolutely refused to become the vic- 
tim of Prussian rule. From the morning 
after he arrived, he indulged every day in his 
round of physical exercises or Swedish drill. 
The wretched food did not succeed in 
quenching his enthusiasm or determination, 
and even the weather failed to dissuade him. 
One of his exercises provided the camp with 
infinite amusement, and suggested his nick- 
name. It was a kangaroo-like jump or hop 
on both feet with hands on hips, which we 
construed into a cat dance on hot bricks. We 
used to banter him unmercifully, gathering 
around and mimicking the barking of dogs, 
but he was not in the least put out by it, and 
accepted the sallies good-naturedly carrying 
his exercise through to the end. 

That man earned and maintained the ad- 
miration of the entire camp, for despite our 
short commons he kept himself in excel- 
lent health. When the communal govern- 
ment was established he offered to teach 
physical culture, a course that seemed sadly 
out of harmony with the conditions. His 
offer met with ready and wide acceptance, 

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and he succeeded in producing one of the fin- 
est bodies of men in the camp, trained to a 
high pitch of efficiency, who went through 
their evolutions with the precision of a 
chronometer. The displays of his class con- 
stituted one of the most widely appreciated 
diversions of the community, and inciden- 
tally, it may be stated, "the Cat" succeeded 
in forming the largest individual class in the 
camp, consisting of eighty men. 

It was interesting to notice how at the 
first opportunity, the prisoners enthusias- 
tically embraced what might be termed the 
Britisher's first and foremost sport — boxing. 
We had many first class exponents of the 
noble art among us, and as soon as the neces- 
sary materials could be obtained, a boxing 
craze set in. The "cracks" readily secured 
pupils and bouts were in progress through- 
out the day. Then we established a scientific 
ring, provided with all the necessary equip- 
ment, and boxing tournaments became one 
of the features of Ruhleben. Battles royal 
were fought and won, and they were waged 
in no half-hearted manner either, although 
insufficient food robbed the men of stamina. 

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When we commenced to receive food from 
home, there was a marked improvement in 
the men's physical condition, and interest in 
boxing correspondingly increased. At some 
of the contests the spectators' shrieks and 
howls of excitement drowned the sonorous 
thundering of the guns at Spandau. 

German oflScials and military regarded 
these exhibitions with ill-disguised hostility. 
The Teuton is a wretched sportsman, and he 
cannot understand where we discover any 
delight in knocking one another about for 
the sheer amusement of the thing; but the 
greatest resentment was because we were 
fostering the fighting spirit. Anything in 
this direction was regarded askance. The 
authorities never openly suppressed this rec- 
reation; but they manifested their dis- 
pleasure in devious, subtle ways. 

If a boxing match were in progress the 
military guards, although afmed with rifles 
and at liberty to use them if provoked, dis- 
creetly kept in the background ; and although 
the contestants went at each other hammer 
and tongs, no attempt at interference was 

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ever made and the fights were fought to a 
legitimate finish. 

Notable leaders in other British sports 
were also to be found among us. Football 
was represented by "Steve'' Bloomer and 
"Freddie" Pentland. As soon as the pris- 
oners had become resigned to a long stay 
in camp, these two sportsmen endeavored to 
get things going. They wrote to friends at 
home asking for a football and the other 
dozen and one incidentals necessary to pur- 
sue the game. When a kindly sympathizer 
sent a ball, the camp went wild with delight 
and life assumed a brighter guise. That ball 
revived our drooping spirits as speedily and 
completely as the sight of gold affects a 
prospector, and the fun we extracted from 
the football would pass all comprehension. 

The congestion and overcrowding result- 
ing from the encroachment upon our avail- 
able space to receive the two additional 
barracks, caused us to look through the 
bars of our prison upon the expanse of the 
race course more wistfully than ever. If 
only we could get out there what a time 
we would have. The authorities were ap- 

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preached, but they did not appear to be 
impressively struck with the brilliancy of 
our proposal. Still, the mere fact that they 
did not refuse the application point-blank 
seemed hopeful. We all knew something 
about the Teuton Circumlocution Office, the 
tangle of red and blue tape which prevails, 
and the tedious journeys from department 
to department, which a request had to make 
before a decision could be given. 

Eastertide, 1915, was a joy-day to us. A 
section of the forbidden ground, which we 
nick-named the "Field," was thrown open to 
us, and was to be available as long as we 
behaved ourselves. We received the con- 
cession with wild jubilation, and the first 
celebration was a football match between 
two sides, captained by "Steve" Bloomer 
and "Freddie" Pentland respectively, the 
Governor of the Camp, Baron Scherein, 
honoring us by kicking-off. We all felt like 
a troop of schoolboys who had been unable to 
visit the playground for days on end. 

One must not run away with the idea that 
the authorities were manifesting unwonted 
generosity to us in this connection. They 

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were gracious enough to concede us the use 
of this ground, but we paid £50 from the 
Camp Fund for the privilege. Moreover, the 
hours when we should be at liberty to roam 
this enclosure were rigidly set forth. They 
were from 9 to 12 in the morning, and from 
2 to 4.30 or 5 in the afternoon. During the 
height of the summer, when the days were 
long, we received an hour's extension, the 
"Field'' being kept open till six o'clock. We 
were warned that, if we did not abide by the 
official times, we should incur the risk of los- 
ing our playground, but we were so thank- 
ful for what we had received that even the 
wildest among us was prepared to fulfil the 
official regulations to the letter. The Camp 
Police were entrusted with the task of clear- 
ing the enclosure at the specified hours, but 
no difficulties were encountered : the conces- 
sion was far too valuable to be abused. 

Soon the football fever gripped everyone. 
Bloomer and Pentland took the matter in 
hand and evolved a magnificent organiza- 
tion. Membership was open to anyone who 
cared to join and each barrack soon had a 
crack team. The two organizers undertook 

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the training of the enthusiasts and in the be- 
ginning this was not without its comical as- 
pect. The giants recalled their football days 
and triumphs at home, and determined to 
show their compatriots what they could do. 
But they had forgotten to make due allow- 
ance for the period of idleness during which 
they had grown rusty, and they failed to 
recognize that our official food was not con- 
ducive to staying power. The teams started 
off promisingly enough, but evidences of dis- 
tress were speedily forthcoming on all sides. 
It was truly a survival of the fittest, and not 
a man of us but confessed that he had failed 
to appreciate how much he had fallen out of 
condition. 

Training and more nourishing food— re- 
ceived from home — worked wonders. When 
the season was at its height the matches 
which were played between the barrack 
teams were worth going miles to witness. 
Each team had by this time received an ap- 
propriate nick-name. One was known as the 
''Canaries," from the colors sported on their 
jerseys — we did the whole thing in first-class 
style, and by hook or crook fitted ourselves 

200 



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out to the last detail. Another was dubbed 
the "Cock-a-Doodle-doo's/' from good-na- 
tured bragging of their prowess. 

Once football got into its proper swing, 
"League" games were inaugurated to put 
greater vim into the matches, both among 
the players and spectators. The sup- 
porters of each side rolled up in overwhelm- 
ing strength, and they vied with one another 
in cheering and spurring their representa- 
tives quite as keenly as the teams battled 
between themselves. 

But the event of the season was the "Ruh- 
leben Cup Final.'^ The scenes witnessed at 
the Crystal Palace at the decisive contest for 
football supremacy were mild in comparison 
with those seen at the internment camp. 
What we lacked in numbers from the specta- 
tor's point of view was more than redeemed 
by lung-power. Every effort in the cheer- 
ing line was reserved for this great day, and 
our wardens were bewildered by the strenu- 
ous manner in which we let ourselves go. 
One would have thought, from the deafen- 
ing final cheer which went up from 4,000 odd 
throats, that the British Army was cross- 

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ing the Rhine, instead of its being a paean of 
praise to the crack barrack football team 
of an internment camp. 

Football was the sport king until the 
weather grew too hot for such strenuous 
exercise. Then King Willow came into the 
arena. The success that had attended the 
efforts of the football enthusiasts in obtain- 
ing equipment for their game induced a sim- 
ilar attempt to be made to secure the where- 
withal to pursue the summer game with 
equivalent enthusiasm. Bats, balls, stumps 
and nets poured into the camp, and the vogue 
of King Willow during the season was every 
whit as triumphant. Everyone was invited 
to become a member of the club, and the 
nominal fee of sixpence was levied for per- 
mission to join the active ranks of either the 
cricket or football enthusiasts. 

Here, again, inter-barrack matches were 
played to decide the championship of the 
camp. In order to prevent the complete 
monopoly of the field for match games, the 
latter were generally restricted to the after- 
noon, which left the field clear for three 
hours during the morning for practice at the 

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nets and scratch team encounters. The big 
matches were played after the Australian 
system ; that is, they were fought to a finish, 
whether they lasted one, two or five days, 
and the enthusiasm was quite as frantic and 
sustained as in the winter game. 

.The cricket matches, however, had one 
humorous aspect not seen in the football 
bouts. As a rule, play was possible only 
from two to six in the afternoon, without a 
break. But the needs of the inner man and 
Prussian system enforced an interlude. 
About half past four the barracks began to 
line up to proceed to the kitchen for tea. As 
this hour approached, those who had no par- 
cels from home with which to regale them- 
selves suddenly scampered from the field to 
appear in the parade, both players and spec- 
tators alike, and it was amusing to see those 
of the former who were dependent upon the 
kitchen suddenly dashing across the field as 
if bereft — each intent upon reaching the 
kitchen on time. Some exciting impromptu 
sprinting matches were witnessed and af- 
forded great delight to the spectators who 
were able to dispense with the official meal. 

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These latter used to linger until the drawing 
of stumps and the clearing of the ground, 
and then return to their barracks to discuss 
the game over a leisurely meal. 

Even golf was played, although it was of 
distinctly unorthodox character. It started 
in quite a humble manner, and at first 
we had to be content with a curtailed play- 
ground skirting the barracks. Clubs and 
balls were procured, and the players amused 
themselves with short strokes and putting, 
with empty condensed milk tins sunk in the 
ground to serve as holes. The golf enthu- 
siasts, not to be outdone by their footballing 
and cricketing colleagues, approached the 
authorities with requests for facilities to in- 
dulge in their favorite game. But this was 
a more difficult matter to decide. Cricket 
and football could be played upon the one 
ground, according to the season, but golf de- 
manded special arrangements. At first, the 
requests met with no success, but finally a 
possible way out of the difficulty was dis- 
covered. Golfers were given the exclusive 
and unrestricted use of the field for at least 
one hour and a quarter every day. They 

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were at liberty to enter the field at half past 
seven in the morning and remain there in 
undisputed possession until nine o'clock, 
when the ground was thrown open to the 
general public after which they had to re- 
frain from driving. The regulation was very 
explicit on this point, for indiscriminate driv- 
ing might injure the other prisoners. Ac- 
cordingly, after nine o'clock, the golfers had 
to content themselves with short strokes and 
putting. 

To take part in this game was a more dif- 
ficult matter. It was rendered rather ex- 
clusive through official action, owing to the 
privilege of entering the field at an early 
hour and enjoying its unrestrained use for a 
period of the day. No prisoner was per- 
mitted to join the golf club until he could 
produce satisfactory evidence of being a 
member of a recognized golf club at home. 
By imposing this restriction, the authorities 
prevented everyone from suddenly develop- 
ing into a golfer merely in order to get a fur- 
ther hour or so of pleasure on the field. 

Tennis also claimed its devotees. A section 
of the cinder track, for which another £50 

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had to be paid, was set aside for this game. 
Three courts were laid down originally, 
but these proved insufficient and four 
more were added, making seven in all. 
The nets and other equipment were hired 
from a German firm. Tennis was a pas- 
time of what might be termed the elite at 
Ruhleben. The running expenses were 
naturally heavy, while the game failed 
to make general appeal, being voted as 
too tame and feminine. Moreover, the 
club was somewhat exclusive with mem- 
bership fee at one guinea for the sea- 
son, which effectually debarred the greater 
number of prisoners, even had they been 
anxious to participate. 

It was the tennis courts and their anima- 
tion that played a prominent part in one of 
the official reports concerning Ruhleben, and 
that conveyed to the general public at home 
an erroneous impression of life in a Ger- 
man internment camp. No mention was 
made in this report concerning the pay- 
ment of £50, or that the club was self- 
supporting and only accessible to a privi- 
leged few. Nor was there a word to indi- 

206 




r [ 



jniciioer^p^li^^^.U!^^ 







An Old Advertisement in a New Setting. 
One of the cartoons from the Ruhleben Camp Magazine, 

Christmas, 1916. 



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cate the advantage of these courts to the 
poorer prisoners. The courts had to be kept 
going, and this work was carried on at the 
club's expense, thus providing a paid occupa- 
tion for some of the men. 

Track athletics were not neglected. A 
Sports' Committee was formed under the 
communal government, which finally became 
one of the most important and powerful in 
the Camp. The first meeting of significance 
was held on Whitsun Monday, 1915. The 
events were varied and attractive, ranging 
from running, walking and sprinting 
matches to contests of a more mirth-provok- 
ing character. Some idea of the importance 
of this meeting may be gathered from the 
circumstance that the prize list comprised 
no fewer than 22 silver cups and 122 silver 
medals paid for from the Committee's funds. 
Everyone was invited to participate, the en- 
trance fee being nominal, and the whole of 
the day was given over to the meeting. The 
prizes were awarded at a later date, after I 
had been able to complete the engraving of 
the inscriptions. The crowning feature of 
the day was the presentation of a silver cup 



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to the Baroness Scherein, the wife of the 
Camp Governor, who was frequently pres- 
ent, and who, like her husband, was a gen- 
eral favorite among us, although she was 
prevented, owing to the rigid regulations, 
from giving us material assistance. 

Another diversion which proved a brilliant 
success — while it lasted — was a big snowball 
battle, with which we endeavored to liven a 
dreary spell of winter. Several days we were 
engaged in the preparations for this Homeric 
struggle. The sides were selected, each com- 
prising from ISO to 200 combatants, while 
we raised entrenchments, built fortifications 
and prepared huge supplies of munitions in 
the form of snowballs. The troops were 
trained in true military fashion and the bat- 
tle was fought with rare gusto. Unfortu- 
nat.ely it was summarily interrupted by the 
authorities. The soldiers had gathered round 
enjoying — as spectators ! — the fun, but as we 
warmed to our work, and became excited, 
shots went wild, and the military unwit- 
tingly received one terrific fusillade. They 
interfered and we had to sound the "cease- 
fire." I have every occasion to remember 

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this event, inasmuch as one of the opposing 
side, in his excitement, picked up, not a 
snowball, but a substantial piece of brick, 
which he hurled at me. It caught me upon 
the head, knocking me over like a nine-pin, 
and causing me to be considered a real casu- 
alty. 

But the snowball fight revealed two strik- 
ing facts. The one was the veiled opposition 
of the authorities to anything pertaining to 
fighting, even in jest. They watched us nar- 
rowly as we performed military drills in 
anticipation of the coming day, and followed 
our evolutions closely. The way we went 
at it was also an eye-opener to the soldiers, 
provoking one or two to comment that 
if we fought with such fierce determina- 
tion and gusto in a mimic conflict with snow- 
balls, what should we be like in the real 
thing? They had full occasion to satisfy 
themselves upon this point a little later upon 
the Western Front, as we learned for our- 
selves. 

The second fact which arrested our atten- 
tion was the efifect of environment upon 
some Britishers. Among our number were 

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many who were Germans in all but birth. 
They had lived in the country since their 
cradle days, and had become saturated thor- 
oughly with German methods, mannerisms, 
ideas, and meek subserviency to military 
rigor. Their sympathies were avowedly 
German, and they were typically Teuton at 
heart. Some of these individuals came with- 
in the zone of snowball fire, and their instant 
action so arrested the attention of both sides 
that we turned round and pelted them un- 
mercifully, resuming our internecine war 
when we had hounded them from the spot. 
But at the drenching with the snowballs 
these prisoners crumpled up completely. 
They were terrified, hid their heads, and 
bolted from the scene like startled rabbits. 
It was difficult to believe that they were 
of British extraction; every British instinct 
appeared to have been eliminated completely. 
It was this display of abject cowardice which 
caused us to reflect, after the snowball strife 
was over, and to wonder among ourselves 
as to whether they were not a source of in- 
security among us. We decided to act and 
talk discreetly when in their company, and 

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later were very glad that we had done so. 

Deprivation of the use of the "Field'* was 
regarded as a severe penalty both by the au- 
thorities and ourselves. On one occasion it 
was closed for three days as a punishment 
for some offense against Teuton propriety; 
but as a rule, closing for one day served as 
penalty for a misdeed. Even to be forbidden 
its use for one day was sorely felt. On such 
occasions we used to gather about and peer 
more forlornly than ever through the fence 
at the expanse of inviting sward, our dis- 
comfiture being more acute after having 
tasted of the pleasures it afforded. 

One incident which caused this penalty to 
be visited upon us is worthy of remark. It 
was the Kaiser's birthday. A huge flagpole 
was planted in the camp and a workman 
was brought in specially to complete the final 
arrangements preparatory to its use. Na- 
turally, upon the celebration of the Em- 
peror's natal day the German eagle was 
hoisted amid Teuton "Hoch-hochs." When 
we trooped out of the barracks and caught 
sight of the hated emblem of Kultur we 
could not refrain from inward cursings, but 

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we withheld all outward signs of our resent- 
ment. 

We were loitering around gazing idly up- 
on the flag fluttering in the breeze, when, to 
our amazement it suddenly fell to the 
ground. Excitement mounted to fever pitch. 
What had happened? Was the fall of the 
flag a happy augury of the forthcoming col- 
lapse of the Germanic Empire? Our droop- 
ing spirits rose at the thought. We felt dis- 
posed to cheer, but we controlled ourselves. 
It would have been construed into manifes- 
tation of lese-majeste. 

We looked on wonderingly, and presently 
the German oflicials, who had observed the 
precipitous descent of their emblem, hurried 
up in high dudgeon. They examined the 
cord. Yes ! As they had surmised, some de- 
testable schweinehund of an Englander had 
severed the rope! The clean cut of the tool 
was there in evidence. We were promptly 
paraded, harangued, threatened with this 
and that, and finally were told that we should 
be forbidden the "Field." 

When outraged German dignity had ex- 
pended its wrath, the Captain of the 

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Camp stepped forward. In deferential lan- 
guage he explained that no Britisher had 
been guilty of such misconduct as was al- 
leged. In veiled words he intimated that no 
prisoner, much as he might detest the Ger- 
man flag, would be so foolish as to cut it 
down in an internment camp. The explana- 
tion was received with ill-grace, and with 
conspicuous reluctance we were dismissed. 
The true reason for the flag's untimely fall 
was soon known. It was discovered that 
the German workman who had been en- 
trusted with the erection of the flagstafl^, 
while completing his final adjustments with 
the adze, had bungled. A mis-stroke and the 
sharp edge of the tool caught the flag-rope, 
severing it with the exception of one strand. 
The workman, after surveying the damage, 
came to the conclusion that it would be un- 
necessary to replace the rope; the remaining 
threads would be sufliciently strong to fulfil 
its purpose. And so it did until the wind 
became strong, when the strain of the flap- 
ping caused the final restraining strand to 
collapse. And so down came the flag. Nat- 
urally, upon finding out their error and the 

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falsity of their accusation, nothing more 
was said. German officialdom never admits 
a mistake. We regained the use of the 
"Tield" immediately. But the Fall of the 
German Flag constituted a topic for ani- 
mated discussion for a considerable time. 



J2I4 



CHAPTER XL 

INDOOR ENTERTAINMENTS 

Outdoor recreation remained at a very low 
ebb for several v^^eeks and indoor diversion 
was even more restricted. The conditions 
were far from conducive to merriment. The 
barracks were wrapped in darkness, not re- 
lieved by so much as a glimmer of light be- 
yond the glow of a cigarette, or pipe, or the 
evanescent flicker of a match. The long 
winter evenings dragged with exasperating 
slowness, and the wonder is that the more 
dejected of the prisoners did not become de- 
mented from prolonged moping. They were 
querulous to an extreme degree; a man 
might be joking one minute and the next in 
a frenzy of bad temper. 

The introduction of one or two candles 
relieved the gloom a great deal, and the most 
was made of the slender illumination thus 
afforded. When artificial lighting, even of 

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the most primitive description was intro- 
duced, I tried to pass the evenings in some 
useful occupation. I kept a diary in v^hich 
I carefully posted the happenings of each 
day. When I left Ruhleben this diary had to 
be left behind in compliance with the law 
which forbade the taking home of anything 
by those who were released; but the writing 
of it afforded me infinite delight. I pur- 
posely wrote the material over and over 
again in order to kill time, each successive 
effort being more elaborate than its pre- 
decessor ; and I took huge pleasure in writing 
my final version in microscopical characters, 
crowding several hundred words on a sheet 
equal in size to the leaf of a reporter's note- 
book. On many an occasion I whiled away 
eight solid hours in this manner; and mid- 
night invariably passed before I finished my 
self-appointed task. One night I just missed 
being hailed before the authorities for this 
heinous offense, such a narrow squeak that it 
gave me a terrific fright. My sheets of notes 
had become an inextricable tangle because I 
had forgotten to number them consecu- 
tively; and I rigged up a table and set the 

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notes out to straighten them. I was deeply 
engaged in so doing when the door opened 
to admit the soldier on duty. The table was 
a sea of papers. 

With one swift movement I swished the 
lot together, extinguished the light, and hop- 
ped into my bed. The sudden darkness dis- 
comfited the guard; he was as helpless as an 
owl in the glare of an electric torch and he 
dared not move for some minutes lest he 
stumble over a slumbering form. When he 
had regained his poise and had switched on 
his electric torch — every soldier on duty was 
thus equipped — he was baffled, for I was ap- 
parently as sound asleep as the rest of the 
prisoners. He had not been quick enough 
upon entering the room to make sure of my 
identity, but I think he must have had a 
pretty good idea that I was the culprit, for 
he gave me a rough kick. I started up, 
simulating a sleeper suddenly awakened 
from his dreams, blinked, rubbed my eyes 
and muttered something incoherent. The 
soldier eyed me narrowly, but evidently 
thrown off the scent by my affectation of 
rudely disturbed slumber, concluded that he 



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had made a mistake, and after gruffly bid- 
ding me lie down again, shuffled off. 

Those who were not disposed to emulate 
the birds of the air and repair to their bunks 
with the waning of the winter daylight, used 
to gather in the long corridor leading to the 
horse boxes. Here they lounged in the dark- 
ness, smoking, grumbling and relating sadly 
forced jokes. 

One night, someone in the darkness shout- 
ed the suggestion that we have a "sing- 
song." Someone else routed out a small box 
and there was a call for volunteer talent. No 
response was forthcoming, for none of the 
prisoners felt in the mood to sing. Many 
calls were made and went unanswered. 
Finally one man timidly approached the box, 
mounted it, and commenced a sentimental 
lyric. It was a weak attempt, his voice was 
sadly off pitch, and the song itself was de- 
pressing, being one of the favorites of the 
homeland. Its recital aroused memories and 
the singer had not gone far before he was 
rudely interrupted and ordered to stop — -he 
was twanging at heartstrings too wildly. 

It would not have mattered how fine his 

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voice; the prisoners were not disposed to 
accept sentiment at any price. They wanted 
something rollicking, something with a good 
swing to it. The words were immaterial; 
indeed, some of the songs were the most 
inane ever sung or heard, but they went 
down like good red wine. There was one in 
particular that alv/ays raised the roof; I do 
not recall its title, but one line I shall never 
forget. It ran, "And the ghost walks under- 
neath the floor!" That drew the crowd. It 
was always bawled forth with a roar that 
shook the barrack, and feet were stamped in 
accompaniment to the movements of the 
spook. That anything to do with bogey-men 
or eeriness should ever have made such a 
strong appeal to the dejected inmates of 
Ruhleben may seem somewhat remarkable, 
but the fact remains that it tickled the fancy 
more than anything else in our entire reper- 
toire during those melancholy days. 

One night when there was a lull in the en- 
tertainment, a prisoner shouted to a col- 
league, "Now then, B ! You can give us 

a turn. Out with it!" 

B was unable to evade the unexpected 



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invitation, and somewhat hesitatingly 
mounted the box. This prisoner had lived 
nearly all of his life in Germany, and in ap- 
pearance and mannerisms bore a greater re- 
semblance to the Hun than to the Briton. 
We awaited his turn with anticipation. He 
started, but he did not go far before pande- 
monium broke loose — he had the temerity to 
attempt a German song in the German 
tongue. 

If ever an outrage was committed upon 
the Britishers in Ruhleben, this was one. 
The sound of the hated tongue roused the 
audience to frenzy; the box was rushed and 
the unfortunate soloist became the victim of 
an infuriated crowd. They hustled and pum- 
melled him without mercy, and each blow 
only served to rouse the anger of the crowd 
toa higher pitch. 

The sing-song which had commenced 
earlier in the evening free from incident 

threatened to develop into a riot. B 's 

sympathizers and colleagues took part with 
him, and the fight was fast and furious, until 
the timely intervention of the guard dis- 
persed us and brought the meeting to a sud- 

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den end. Needless to say, after this inciderii:, 
no prisoner ever made an attempt to render 
a song in German. It was more than his 
skin was worth. 

Subsequently this man, on account of his 
outspoken sympathy with the German na- 
tion, was released upon condition that he 
join the German army. He did so and was 
drafted to the Western front, where a 
British bullet laid him low, paying the pen- 
alty for his treachery. When the news 
reached the camp it was received with great 
satisfaction and prompted an immediate 
choral rendition of "And his ghost walks 
underneath the floor." That was the only 
tribute considered fit for the occasion. 

One evening, the party lounging in the cor- 
ridor decided to enliven things a little by an 
impromptu and exceedingly unskilled exhi- 
bition of clog dancing. Our shoes had stiff 
wooden soles, and the patter of several dozen 
feet thus encased made a noise like trip 
hammers. This the guards declined to tol- 
erate, and we were abruptly cleared out. 
At that time our captors resented all of our 
efforts to liven the weary hours. Their one 

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aim seemed to be to keep us dejected, but 
they found this impossible, for we had 
grimly determined to get some fun out of 
our drab imprisonment. To attempt to sup- 
press the spirit of some of the prisoners was 
like trying to extinguish a fire with petrol, 
and unconsciously the guards themselves 
contributed to our amusements. They 
stopped our singing in the corridors, by or- 
dering us to move on. They suddenly dis- 
covered that congregating in the passage- 
way constituted an infringement of the 
regulation forbidding prisoners to collect in 
groups. 

At the time I arrived, the camp did not 
possess a single musical instrument; or, at 
least, although some of the prisoners owned 
them, they were safely stored away, owing 
to lack of facilities for practice. For in- 
stance, when Godfrey Ludlow, the Austra- 
lian violinist, was trapped in the internment 
net he succeeded in securing permission to 
take with him his violin, but for months he 
scarcely touched it. Indeed, he seldom re- 
moved it from its case, except to reassure 
himself that it was not suffering from its 



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prolonged inactivity and enforced storage in 
uncongenial quarters. 

But one night the gloom was broken by- 
strains of a musical instrument. The lover 
of music may perhaps cavil at the term being 
applied to a mouth organ or a Jew's harp! 
I forget which of these two instruments of 
torture had the distinction of being heard 
first at Ruhleben. As soon as the strains 
arose there was an outbreak of jubilation — 
at last we had secured an accompaniment 
for the vocalists who entertained the com- 
munity. As for the instrumental solos, they 
threw us into ecstasies of delight, especially 
the negroes, who were hilarious in their joy. 
I recall how the prisoners crowded around 
the lucky possessor of the instrument, listen- 
ing intently and urging him to keep going for 
all he was worth. A few weeks later, if we 
could have encountered the men who in- 
vented the Jew's harp and mouth organ, we 
would have torn them limb from limb. A 
veritable boom set in; they were purchased 
from a Berlin store, and from morning till 
night the camp was a racket of discord. The 
less competent the owner, the more industri- 

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ous would be his practice. At times the air 
was thick with missiles flung at the heads of 
the offenders, but the players refused to be 
daunted. 

The vogue did not last long, but it gave 
way to another and if possible, worse afflic- 
tion. A prisoner succeeded in getting hold 
of a mandolin. Then two or three stray vio- 
lins crept in, then a guitar, followed by whis- 
tle pipes whch came by the dozen. It was 
not uncommon for twenty or thirty assorted 
instruments to be playing simultaneously in 
a barrack, each struggling with a different 
air. 

If the auditors were in the minority they 
had to suffer in silence, stop their ears or get 
out. If they were in the majority they took 
the law into their own hands, and either 
drove the disturbers from their quarters or 
forced them to stop. 

During those strenuous musical times 
many curious sights were witnessed in the 
camp. In the horse boxes the bunks were 
disposed in tiers, three on each side, resemb- 
ling the sleeping quarters of a liner. I have 

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seen the occupants of three superimposed 
bunks sitting up, with their legs dangling 
over the sides, together in concert but not in 
harmony. The occupant of the top bunk 
might be playing "Rule Brittania," on a tin 
whistle; the man in the center trying val- 
iantly to scrape out something like the 
melody of a Schumann nocturne on a violin ; 
and the prisoner in the lowest bunk steeple- 
chasing the strings of a guitar into the 
strains of "Come Back to Erin." Possibly, 
on the opposite side, the owner of a bunk 
would be sucking out "The Swanee River" 
on a mouth organ. At the table, two other 
inmates were likely to be trying to write 
letters or read in the midst of the unearthly 
noise. 

Things came to such a pass that matters 
had to be settled by compromise. The solu- 
tion was effective : all the musicians in a bar- 
rack were bundled into a small room at the 
end of the building and given complete free- 
dom to play one against the other. For a 
few minutes Bedlam reigned. Then the door 
would open, and one musician, his instru- 
ment under his arm and his face red from 

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his exertions, would emerge and slink discon- 
solately to his bunk. He had been defeated 
in the contest. Another, and then another, 
would retire in turn, until at last perhaps 
only three or four players would be left. 

Even the coralling of the would-be musi- 
cians into one room was not entirely success- 
ful, as discordant strains have the knack of 
penetrating a good distance. So we decided 
to banish the orchestras from the barracks 
altogether. There was a small cubbyhole 
outside, into which a few instrumentalists 
could be crowded. They were given this re- 
treat which did not meet with great appre- 
ciation. It was so small that the musicians 
had to stand back to back. We took a huge 
delight in chaining up the "mad musicians," 
even if the violinist did have to lean out of 
the window to play his instrument. 

I was passing the practice room one day 
when a violinist was leaning out as usual. 
It was raining heavily and the instrument 
was dripping like an umbrella. 

''Say, old man," I ventured to the player, 
*'your violin's getting wet. Why don't you 
take it inside?" 

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"I can't/* he said plaintively, letting up for 
a moment, "I can't turn around." 

'Then why on earth don't you stop?" 

*1 can't," he repeated, "until someone goes 
out. I'm fixed here in a vice, and have to go 
on playing whether I like it or not !" 

I left him battling with the rainstorm and 
his rebellious instrument, the soddened 
strings of which were playing strange 
capers. 

Only one element in the camp appreciated 
the practice bouts — the "darkies." They 
would gather about in delight as they lis- 
tened to the gurgles and hiccoughs of the 
instruments. Only those individuals, accus- 
tomed to finding pleasure in the banging of 
a tom-tom, were able to enjoy a Ruhleben 
band practice. 

In striking contrast to the foregoing were 
the impromptu recitals to which we were oc- 
casionally treated by the "masters." Now 
and again Godfrey Ludlow would withdraw 
his treasured violin from its case, and in the 
silence of the loft or the horse box, settle 
down to play. As soon as the strains from 
his instrument were heard the prisoners 



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Within earshot would abandon their tasks, 
steal quietly into the building and listen in 
silent rapture. When he had finished a 
round of spirited applause would break out, 
accompanied by urgent entreaties for more. 
His music carried us completely away. The 
German soldiers also used to creep in and 
linger among the appreciative audience. 

When the Communal Government came 
into existence it was decided to organize our 
indoor entertainments. There was ample 
talent in the camp, only requiring organiza- 
tion and efficient handling. We had already 
tried to relieve an evening*s tedium by a 
comedy sketch, which had been written and 

presented by F. F . I met this comedian 

in Sennelager Camp, and learned that he and 
his wife had been on the stage for years 
They had been arrested while fulfilling a con- 
tract in Germany. One day, Mrs. F . 

paid us a visit at Sennelager; but if there 
were one thing more than any other to which 
the authorities were opposed, it was the 
visits of women to internment camps. Mrs. 

F- was seen by a soldier who reported 

her, and we were all paraded. Then the com- 

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manding officer, before us all, roundly lec- 
tured the woman in a most insulting manner 
and threatened her with severe punishment 
if she should ever visit the camp again. It 
made our blood boil to stand by and listen to 
his harangue, but we were helpless. The 
tears coursed down F 's face as he lis- 
tened and watched the despairing face of his 
wife. But both the poor woman and our- 
selves had to suffer in silence; the slightest 
movement on her behalf would have brought 
penalties indescribable upon us, and she 
would have been treated to further indigni- 
ties. 

F 's attempt to provide us with theat- 
rical fare was laughable. A small stage was 
rigged up in a hall under the grandstand, 
merely an apology, for a curtain was impos- 
sible and the properties were of the crudest 
description. But we thoroughly enjoyed the 
entertainment, and when we secured permis- 
sion to run the camp ourselves, we turned 
the hall — for the use of which we paid £50 — 
into a theatre, used it for orchestral and 
vocal concerts, and on Sundays for church 
services. We built a first-class stage, with 



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every accessory, even to a plush drop cur- 
tain, w^hich we bought in Berlin and made 
ourselves. Stage carpenters and scene pain- 
ters were enrolled, and with these latter we 
were especially well equipped as there were 
several artists in camp. I doubt whether 
some of the drop scenes could be excelled for 
beauty in any bona fide theatre. One in par- 
ticular aroused widespread comment. It 
represented months of constant labor on the 
part of the artist. It was essentially a labor 
of love with him, but he told me it was the 
only means by which he could keep his 
thoughts from home. 

Those artists who did not share in the 
stagecraft preparations, designed costumes, 
posters and announcements. The latter were 
works of art, and will undoubtedly be highly 
prized among collectors of the future. 

A stock company was established, and an 
advertisement for actors met with tremen- 
dous response. The prisoners applied en 
masse. The environs of the Ruhleben thea- 
tre in the early days recalled Poverty Corner 
in the heydey of its vogue. Many prisoners, 
who had scarcely ever before seen the inside 

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of a theatre, blossomed out in true Bohe- 
mian fashion, and incidentally set a new 
vogue for the camp. The hair was set down 
at the accepted angle and style, the seedy 
hat was sported at the regulation tilt, big 
ties were seen everywhere — indeed, any 
chance visitor to Ruhleben might have been 
pardoned had he concluded that the Germans 
had rounded up not every Britisher within 
the Teuton Empire, but every actor under 
the sun and flung them into a common fold. 
The self-styled actors who suddenly over- 
whelmed us, regarded their position with 
all seriousness, and were impervious to 
the jokes which their appearance created. 
Fashion in Ruhleben decreed that one 
either had to be or look like an actor if he 
wished to be accepted in camp society. 

A lean-to was built — as usual we paid for 
the materials and labor — for rehearsals. This 
building grew with great rapidity in order 
to receive scene painters and stage proper- 
ties. In the meantime, playwrights were 
busy preparing the initial plays, and here, 
also, real talent was discovered. Specially 
prepared works were supplemented by per- 

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formances of the popular favorites of the 
homeland, the necessary permission to ren- 
der which was always granted by the owners 
of the copyright. Drama, comedy, sketch, 
musical comedy and comic opera were given 
in turn, for our play bill-of-fare was ar- 
ranged to suit all tastes. 

The bill was changed twice a week. The 
prices for the seats were low, sixpence and 
one penny, with a few reserved seats at 
higher prices. The performances started at 
half past six and ended about a quarter after 
eight, as the regulation was that we be in our 
barracks by half past eight. On one or two 
occasions, during the regime of Baron Scher- 
ein, we were permitted to close at a later 
hour, but these exceptions were reluctantly 
granted. From the very first, the theatre 
proved a great success, and was more than 
self-supporting. A certain percentage of the 
revenue went toward new properties and 
costumes, while contributions were also 
made towards the purchase of foodstuffs, 
which enabled our colleagues to buy little 
dainties and luxuries at figures below the 
prevailing prices. 



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While the first musical efforts were not a 
success, it was not long before the managers 
succeeded in organizing a real orchestra for 
which another lean-to was built. The con- 
certs, both instrumental and vocal, vied with 
the theatre in popular favor. Ambitious 
works of every description were rendered, 
and upon notable occasions, the Governor, 
accompanied by his wife and a few privi- 
leged friends from Berlin, was among the 
audience. The visitors were most enthusi- 
astic, and on more than one occasion, they 
declared that we had treated them to an 
evening's enjoyment that could not have 
been surpassed in any German center of 
music. 

Although the orchestra usually gave in- 
door concerts, musicales were held out of 
doors during the brief summer season when 
the weather was insufferably hot. This was 
a diversion we enjoyed hugely, for it re- 
minded us of home. The stretch before the 
grandstand constituted the promenade, 
where we strolled listening to the band, or 
reclined upon the grass. Many delightful 
evenings were passed in this manner, and at 

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such times we almost forgot that we were 
penned up in a German internment camp. 

In our wish to preserve the associations of 
home> we celebrated our own Royal Acad- 
emy exhibition. There was plenty of talent 
in the camp, and the exhibition proved a 
great success. Many of the canvasses dis- 
played compared favorably with some I have 
seen on the line in Burlington House; and 
in addition, there were examples of artistry 
and craftsmanship. Some of the prisoners 
had passed their idle hours in wood-carving 
with penknives and other simple tools. One 
if the negroes had laboriously fashioned 
pieces of granite into knickknacks of various 
sorts, finished with a high polish. These 
aroused considerable comment. My contri- 
bution to the exhibition was an egg embla- 
zoned with the arms of Ruhleben and a suit- 
able inscription. After the exhibition, I used 
it as a drawing card in the window of a shop 
I established in Ruhleben, where it never 
failed to arouse interest, even among the 
German officers. 

We considered our ring of indoor amuse- 
ments completed when at last we were able 

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to open the Picture Palace, which proved a 
success. Our principal trouble in this con- 
nection was with films. We had to hire these 
from Berlin, and most of them were ex- 
ecrable in character, plot and technique, 
while the fact that they were terribly worn 
by the time we received them did not add to 
their attractions. But we consoled ourselves 
with the fact that the Germans had lagged 
far behind the other nations in this phase of 
industry. 

All things considered, it must be admitted 
that the internment camp was well supplied 
in point of indoor amusements. There was 
always something on that served to while 
away the tedium of the evenings and did 
much toward promoting the limited gaiety 
of the prisoners. 



^35 



CHAPTER XII. 
BIDS FOR FREEDOM 

People at home, reading about the con- 
gested internment camp at Ruhleben, often 
wonder why frequent attempts at escape are 
not made. Now and again we hear of such a 
venture and some prisoner more daring than 
his fellows straggles home, having bid an un- 
offical adieu to the Teutons. 

There were several reasons why such 
breaks for freedom was seldom made. In the 
first place, there was hardly a prisoner who 
did not believe that release was only the mat- 
ter of a short time; only a few of the pris- 
oners could speak German; and then it was 
a long pull from Spandau to the border, and 
subsistence en route was likely to prove dif- 
ficult. As a result, reflection generally con- 
vinced the most daring that the risk was 
hardly worth the candle. Of a certainty, re- 

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capture would be attended by punishment of 
some devilish description such as only the 
Teuton mind could conceive. 

Spies abounded everywhere, and we had 
to bear in mind that we were not likely to 
encounter many benevolent Germans on our 
way to the frontier. A prisoner in flight 
could hardly hope to escape the inevitable 
challenge that sooner or later would be flung 
at him during his journey. Demand for the 
pass would lead to a complete undoing. 
Even if a man tried to pass himself off as an 
American, he could scarcely hope to succeed, 
for Americans also had to produce passports 
or other irrefutable evidence of American 
citizenship. 

Accordingly, during the first three months 
of our imprisonment no attempt at escape 
is recorded. During this period, however, 
one or two of the more venturesome kept 
their eyes and ears open, and acquainted 
themselves with the lie of the land, in case 
an opportunity should arise. 

As time went on, and less was heard of the 
expected change of prisoners, those who 
were willing to take any risk to get away, 

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matured their plans. I may say that "How 
to Bolt" and 'When to Bolt" were the fa- 
vorite subjects for discussion in the privacy 
of our living quarters. Hundreds talked glib- 
ly and evolved daring schemes, but few of 
them were carried out. As a rule, the 
schemer thought better of his decision when 
the moment arrived. Nevertheless, rumors 
of escape were bandied about without cessa- 
tion. 

We always knew when a bold break for 
freedom had been made. Then we were 
called to parade at six in the morning. We 
were not even given time to dress, but had to 
jump up out of bed and appear as we were, 
snatching overcoats on the way. When the 
weather was cold is was a disagreeable 
ordeal, but there was not a man among 
us who did not wish the fugitive success and 
gladly shoulder personal discomfort on his 
behalf. We knew that every minute we 
could give him was invaluable so we delayed 
and hampered the authorities as much as 
possible in their efforts to count us. 

Escape was not without its tragic side. 
One Russian prisoner, a mere boy, fell a vic- 



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tim to the irksomeness of confinement, and 
his brain gave way. Ir his delirium he at- 
tempted to escape. He was detected by the 
guard, who uttered the challenge but ap- 
parently the youth's mind was so unhinged 
that he did not realize the import of the 
ominious hail. Crack went the rifle. His 
body, stiff and cold, was brought into the 
camp the next morning. The guard had un- 
doubtedly taken deliberate aim, instead of 
contenting himself with merely bringing 
him to earth. We considered it a cold- 
blooded murder. 

The fact that we knew but little of the 
guarding of the camp from without baffled 
our efforts to break bounds. We discreetly 
sounded our guards when we became more 
friendly with them, kept our eyes open, and 
never allowed the slightest detail to escape 
our eyes. We learned, however, that the 
protective system was uncannily elaborate. 
The soldiers were exasperatingly vigilant 
and ready to shoot on sight. Also every 
night, at half past nine, a barrack inspection 
was carefully made, when the guard entered 
and counted the inmates. If the total tal- 

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lied with his official record, it was acknowl- 
edged by a guttural ''Criite Nacht/' If not, 
there was a hubub until the roll was found 
to be correct. 

Escape in the daytime was utterly impos- 
sible, although in one instance it came within 
an ace of proving successful, through sheer 
audacity. The prisoner laughingly entered 
his barrack one day, and commenced to pack 
his bag. His comrades asked what was in 
the wind. 

"Oh, I've had enough of this. Fm going to 
clear out," was the reply. 

His listeners were so utterly taken aback 
by his retort that they stared at him in 
open-mouthed astonishment. Then, as the 
import of his words dawned on them, they 
shook their heads and tapped their foreheads 
in gentle conviction that another man's brain 
had given way. Yet there was method in 
this man's madness. He emerged from his 
barrack, still laughing merrily, yelled "good- 
b37-e" to those who were loitering around and 
waved his hand excitedly in general farewell. 
Then he hastened toward the entrance where 

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the guard watched the man's approach 
closely. 

The prisoner marched boldly up to the 
guard, extended his hand and laughingly 
said that he was off, having been granted a 
pass. The soldier was so over-awed by the 
frankness of the prisoner that he wished him 
good-bye and allowed him to go without 
making the slightest protest. It was some 
seconds before the guard realized that he had 
not asked to see the man's pass; then the 
prisoner was quickly hailed and ordered to 
stop. Of course, his game was up and he 
was promptly taken into custody. What ul- 
timately became of him I do not know, but 
the general belief was that he was com- 
mitted to an asylum after escort to Spandau, 
the authorities concluding that no man in his 
right senses would ever have attempted such 
a rash ruse. His nerve aroused widespread 
comment and satisfaction among the pris- 
oners. 

What audacity can do was shown on an- 
other occasion as well. When Mr. Geoffrey 
Pyke came to the conclusion that he pre- 
ferred life in England to that in an intern- 

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ment camp in Germany, he did about the 
last thing a fugitive would be expected to do. 

He and a companion successfully broke 
bounds and turned their footsteps toward the 
North Sea. Some four hundred miles lay 
before them, and they almost covered the 
distance. Under their plan, they did not 
hurry nor did they cling to the solitude of 
the countryside, but walked boldly through 
the various towns en route during broad day- 
light. By this procedure they evidently dis- 
armed the suspicions of the authorities ; and 
the two drove their way as far as Wesel, 
where their elation at their success led to 
their undoing. They had paraded every other 
town on their way and they concluded that 
they might just as well see the sights of 
Wesel. But Wesel, being a military area, is 
difficult to enter and even more difficult to 
leave; and every stranger is watched as 
closely as a mouse is watched by a cat. As 
they were walking unconcernedly along the 
street one day they were challenged and all 
was up. So ended their daring enterprise. 

Needless to say, attempt at escape consti- 
tuted the most heinous offence in the whole 

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penal code at Ruhleben and the punishment 
was accordingly severe. At the parades fol- 
lowing such attempts we were mercilessly 
harangued. The officials dinned it into our 
ears that the runaway was either within an 
ace of being caught, or actually arrested, or 
else hinted in sinister terms that he had met 
with the fate which must inevitably attend 
all such efforts. Never did they admit that 
an attempt had been successful. Yet these 
threats and warnings had little effect on us. 
When a man disappeared from camp, and 
days passed without his return, the authori- 
ties endeavored to make us believe that he 
had been shot or encountered the worse fate 
of solitary confinement. They scouted the 
idea of any man ever succeeding in escaping 
from Germany, even if he broke the bounds 
of the internment camp. 

As we came at length to appreciate the ex- 
tremely elaborate arrangements for keeping 
us within the four walls of Ruhleben, we 
realized that the greatest skill was necessary 
to outwit our captors. It was about the 
middle of 1915 that the possibilty of escaping 
first gained our serious attention. 

^43 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

At a certain hour of the day the more 
daring members of the camp used to meet 
to discuss plans and projects, and to draw up 
certain laws bearing upon the subject which 
we all agreed to observe. One of the most 
keenly discussed topics was whether sum- 
mer or winter constituted the best time for 
making the break for home. The pros and 
cons were all thrashed out thoroughly. 
Some argued that the shortness of the win- 
ter days and the long hours of darkness 
would be extremely favorable. But others 
thought that the extreme cold and the na- 
kedness of the country would more than 
counterbalance this advantage. 

The supporters of the summer theory 
counted on the hiding places offered by the 
cornfields and the foliage of the woods and 
hedges, which would make it easy to sleep 
all day and travel by night. Lastly, and this 
was a telling factor, it would be possible to 
subsist longer without food in warm weather 
than in the bitter cold. It was the consen- 
sus of opinion finally that the summer was 
the better time. 

The meetings of the little society were 

244 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

much attended and many rules were laid 
down. For instance, if two prisoners were 
to break loose at the same time, they were to 
keep company if possible, but each was to 
act in accordance with the law of self-pre- 
servation. That is to say, if one met with an 
accident, or was wounded by a sentry's rifle, 
his comrade was to go on without rendering 
him assistance. 

The period of darkness during which an 
attempt could be made was from half past 
nine at night to six in the morning. It was 
the habit of the guard to make an inspection 
the last thing at night. At first, this seemed 
to constitute a serious obstacle, but we over- 
came it by a little strategy, or what might 
be aptly called camouflage. A plotter would 
proceed to his barrack and make up his bed 
as if he were asleep in it. A convenient 
bundle was slipped under the cover to repre- 
sent the form of the sleeper, or perhaps a 
pair of boots were left projecting from the 
foot of the bed. These preliminary arrange- 
ments were voted necessary to absolve one's 
comrades from all complicity. 

This ruse succeeded until it dawned upon 

245 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

the authorities that the guard ought to make 
a bunk to bunk inspection. Of course, di- 
rectly this system came into operation, the 
dummy forms were speedily discovered, with 
the result that the fugitive did not get a 
very long start before his flight was dis- 
covered. It was also an unwritten law that 
no prisoner should ever communicate his 
intentions to any one unless he were to be 
accompanied, in which case, of course, he had 
to act in concert with his colleague. The 
prisoners never showed the slightest curi- 
osity in matters pertaining to escape beyond 
fervently wishing good luck to the fugitive. 

I had several plans for escape, but because 
of the charge overhanging my head — that 
of being a spy in the pay of the British Gov- 
ernment, from which I have never been ac- 
quitted — I had to move warily. 

I did succeed in completing a carefully 
worked out scheme that seemed to offer 
every promise of success. I mapped out a 
route between the camp and the frontier, 
which extended entirely through sparsely oc- 
cupied country. I intended to pass as a tour- 
ing German cyclist, and went so far as actu- 

^46 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

ally to secure the bicycle. I also arranged 
for the fabrication and supply of a metallic 
bullet-proof garment to be worn beneath my 
ordinary clothing. I am a pretty good cy- 
clist, and I had made up my mind that when 
challenged, I would either run the soldier 
down or fly past him at full speed trusting to 
the swiftness of my flight to prevent him 
from hitting me, or in the event of his bullet 
reaching its mark, hoping that it would be 
deflected by my metallic protection. 

I completed all the arrangements down to 
the most minute detail. How, I am not at 
liberty to disclose, especially in connection 
with the cycle and the metallic protection for 
my person. They were to be at a certain 
place near Ruhleben at a certain time upon 
the day when I planned my departure, and 
they were there as arranged although I 
abandoned my effort at the last moment, for 
I discovered an insuperable flaw in my de- 
signs. The route I had so carefully planned 
I found to be the longest to the frontier, 
and would force me to cross two bridges. 
My accomplice outside warned me that I 
could never hope to "fly" these. Not only 

^47 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

were they heavily guarded by a detachment 
of soldiers, but each end had a barrier that 
could be dropped at a moment's notice. If I 
succeeded in eluding the guard at one end, 
the barrier could be closed at the other be- 
fore I reached it. So I reluctantly abandoned 
the idea as hopeless and decided to possess 
my soul in patience until I was able to put a 
bolder and more complete scheme into exe- 
cution. 

The arrangements for protecting the ex- 
terior of the camp were extensive. This I 
discovered from personal investigation, tak- 
ing my life in my hands to satisfy myself on 
this subject. I committed everything to 
memory so thoroughly that I could have 
made my way out and have traveled through 
the surrounding country blindfolded. From 
my examination I recognized the utter fu- 
tility of trying to get away unless one had 
completed the most detailed arrangements 
and was equipped with resourcesior any em- 
ergency. 

One industrious prisoner tried to escape by 
tunnelling under a brick wall bounding one 
side of the camp, the outer defences being 

348 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

the ubiquitous barbed wire. But the author- 
ities had anticipated such an attempt. A 
deep trench had been dug in which were 
strung lines of barbed wire and the trench 
had then been filled in to conceal the obstruc- 
tion. Consequently, any tunnelling, unless 
carried out at a very deep level, was com- 
pletely frustrated. It was reported, too, that 
this barbed wire was connected with an elec- 
tric alarm system, but upon this point I have 
no confirmatory evidence. Generally speak- 
ing, tunnelling was considered too fantastic 
and was not given serious consideration. 

Although many attempts at escape were 
undoubtedly made, little information con- 
cerning them leaked out. Naturally, the 
participants maintained a wise silence. But 
one enterprise is worthy of mention. Two 
prisoners were involved whom I shall call 
A and B. Here is the story as narrated to 
me by A. 

"The night was dark. Shortly after the 
guard had made his final inspection we 
tumbled out of our bunks, making them up 
to appear as if we were still sleeping, and 

^49 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

Stole out of the barracks. We lived in dif- 
ferent parts of the camp, but our rendezvous 
had been arranged. 

"After much anxiety we cleared the camp, 
and it looked like plain sailing; but we had 
gone only a short distance when my chum, 
overwhelmed at outwitting the guard and 
tasting freedom again, broke down com- 
pletely. I was overcome with dismay. The 
force of the reaction reduced him to the 
helplessness of a baby. So occupied was I 
in trying to calm him and restore him to his 
normal vigor that I failed to notice the ap- 
proach of the sentry. He called his chal- 
lenge from the distance of a dozen paces. 

"At the sound of this peremptory order 
my friend's nerve returned. His first im- 
pulse was to run for it. 

" 'Don't you move, you fool,' I growled 
quietly. *If you do, he'll fire. Yon speak 
German, so bluflf it through !' 

"The sentry had reached us by this time 
and was eyeing us narrowly. My friend at 
last sputtered out something that we could 
see was regarded with suspicion. I now 
threw discretion to the winds, and jumping 

230 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

forward dealt the sentry a terrific blow in 
the face that knocked him over like a ninepin. 

" 'Run like Old Nick/ I yelled to B, 'and 
keep close to me/ 

"We bounded forth, leaving the German 
soldier senseless on the ground. But luck 
was against us — we had gone only a few 
paces when my chum stumbled and fell, cry- 
ing sharply as he hit the ground. 

" 'Go on,' he cried, 'don't stop.' 

"This was in keeping with our secret code, 
but I knew the consequences if he were ar- 
rested, since the gravity of our offense had 
been augmented by the attack on the soldier. 
This would certainly be visited upon B. By 
this time the guard was yelling for assis- 
tance like one bereft. 

"I doubled back to my companion. Luckily, 
all through the incident I managed to keep 
my senses, and T don't believe I have ever 
thought so swiftly or so clearly as I did that 
night. Lifting B to his feet I found that he 
had only wrenched his ankle slightly. 
Crouching, I whispered softly : 

" *It's hopeless now; we must get back to 
camp !' 

^5^ 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

"We looked around. It was black as pitch, 
but our eyes, accustomed to the darkness, 
could make out the burly form of a soldier 
listening intently. Like two rabbits we 
bounded back toward the camp. The soldier 
immediately caught sight of us and tore' 
after us like mad. We continued to run at 
top speed, but camp food told its tale, and 
we were both soon winded, so we dropped in- 
to the hollow formed by the bank, and sti- 
fling our heavy breathing as much as we 
could listened to the running of the sentry. 
The footsteps grew fainter and then died 
away. 

"Thinking, of course, that the soldier had 
gone on, we looked around warily. Imagine 
our dismay, then, when we saw the figure 
of the guard on the bank above us silhouetted 
against the sky. He could not see us but 
was merely taking stock from his point of 
vantage. We crouched low, eager for the 
moment when he would move on, but he was 
not disposed to budge a foot. 

"We stood the trying ordeal for what 
seemed an eternity, and then I whispered: 

" There's nothing in this. We've got to 

232 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

go for him and take that rifle away. If we 
don't our number's up, for he'll blaze away 
the moment he sees us.' 

"My companion gave a smothered curse 
at our dilemma. We were two puny scraps 
of half-starved humanity, while he was a big 
hulking Prussian guardsman with the 
strength of an ox. 

" 'I'm game,' whispered my chum, 'but he's 
big enough to eat us.' 

" 'Never mind. We're two to one, and it's 
our only chance. Are you ready ?' 

"We crawled up the bank without being 
seen ; reaching the top we sprang on our prey 
like tigers. There was a wild scuffle. I don't 
remember exactly what happened, but I 
know we hit out simultaneously, bore down 
the guard and threw away his rifle, and then 
bolted without ceremony for the point of the 
camp from which we had broken out. I re- 
ceived a sprained wrist and a damaged eye 
in the transaction and B also carried his 
scars. 

"In the darkness we overshot the mark, 
and found our feet hitting the highroad that 
skirts one side of the camp leading to the 

^53 



INTERNED IN GERMANY * 

main entrance. We were running full tilt 
into trouble, for the guards were all on the 
qui vive by this time. Hanging closely to- 
gether, we dodged the chasing soldiers who 
were pelting down the road towards their 
comrades at the main entrance, whooping 
in confidence at the prospect of our capture. 
Whipping back, we discovered the point 
where we had broken bounds, clambered 
through and scuttled into our barracks. 

"I tumbled into bed just in the nick of time, 
for directly after, the emergency bell began 
to clang, and the barrack guard rushed in 
excitedly, ordering everyone up. Cursing 
their luck, the sleepers rolled out of their 
beds, snatching what garments they could, 
and ran downstairs. I discarded a part of 
my attire and made myself look as dishev- 
eled as I could to give the impression that I 
had just been awakened; but was upset to 
discover my wrist which had been paining 
me greatly had swollen to twice its normal 
size. For a moment I thought that this 
would certainly betray me. 

"I was in the lap of the gods. I would fab- 
ricate some plausible explanation. As I de- 

^54 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

scended the staircase my thoughts flew to 
my chum. Had he regained his barrack or 
had he been caught at the last stile? 

"As we fell in, my heart bounded, for I 
saw him polling toward the parade ground 
as nonchalantly as if nothing had happened, 
talking gaily with a companion. We were 
quickly counted, and the roll call was cor- 
rect — and yet, two prisoners had escaped. 
We were counted and recounted, but the 
total never varied. How I chuckled in- 
wardly at their discomfiture! At last we 
were dismissed, but I could see that the au- 
thorities were far from being satisfied; there 
was ample evidence to prove that two pris- 
oners had broken away in spite of the fact 
that all were there. 

"To complete my alibi I purposely slipped 
as we filed into the barracks and gave a sharp 
cry as I fell on my damaged arm and bumped 
my head. At last I felt secure. If personal 
inspection revealed my swollen wrist and 
damaged eye, explanation would be simple 
and I had plenty of witnesses. Nevertheless, 
I was at the water tap at the first opportu- 
nity, bathing my wrist and trying to reduce 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

the swelling of my eye. The commiseration 
of my colleagues was genuine, for they never 
dreamed of my unblushing dissimulation." 

The German officials never solved the 
mystery, and A and B must be counted 
among the lucky ones. Others were far from 
being so fortunate. 

The Teutons lost no opportunity to im- 
press upon us the severity of the punishment 
that awaited those who attempted to break 
bounds ; and it must not be thought that their 
threats were empty ones — that was not the 
German way. 

Let me illustrate by relating the case of 
one unfortunate runaway who was caught. 
The offender was at once condemned to soli- 
tary confinement ; and we had almost forgot- 
ten about this unlucky comrade when we re- 
ceived a sudden shock. We were proceeding 
one morning to the kitchen for our morning 
meal when attention was arrested by the fig- 
ure of a man standing alone in a conspicuous 
place, or rather what should have been a 
man. His face had a haunting pallor as of 
faded parchment, his eyes were lusterless, 
and he appeared to have scarcely enough 






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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

strength to stand. The pathetic spectacle he 
presented made an impression that will never 
be forgotten. 

We soon found out it was the British pris- 
oner who had attempted escape and been 
caught in the act. He had been brought from 
his solitude in a tiny steel-bound, dimly- 
lighted room, as silent as the grave, to be ex- 
hibited before his compatriots as a warning. 
The horrors of solitary confinement had left 
their traces as we could all see for ourselves, 
and we were informed that similar punish- 
ment would be dealt out to all others who 
essayed the same offence. After this nause- 
ating exhibition,"^ the man was escorted back 
to the living hell in which he was to remain 
until the end of the war. 

Once again, the Germans in their misun- 
derstanding of the psychology of the British 
Anglo-Saxon committed a grave error. If 
they had hoped to intimidate the rest of the 
prisoners they were doomed to disappoint- 
ment, for it had a diametrically opposite ef- 
fect. This inhuman exhibition of a man 
whose only crime had been a bold dash for 

♦"Sixteen Months in Four German Prisons," pp. 44-59. 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

liberty provoked greater determination than 
ever on the part of the daring, and sv^elled 
the ranks of the secret society pledged to one 
definite object — freedom 1 No matter how, 
but freedom. 



^58 



CHAPTER XIII. 
THE SPLIT IN THE CAMP 

I have already described how the German 
Government rounded up for internment, resi- 
dent, commercial and touring Britishers 
without discrimination. Into this drag net 
were gathered English travelers and holiday- 
seekers, as well as those long resident in Ger- 
many, who from lengthy association with 
Teutonic influences had suffered a strange 
and almost incredible transformation. This 
element, instead of being compatriots, were 
a race apart; they were Germans in every- 
thing but birth and name. 

It is true that in the aggregate they num- 
bered only three or four hundred, but even 
this ten per cent, leavening was almost more 
than we could tolerate. They were openly 
sympathetic to the Teuton cause, and an- 
tagonistic to the British. This galled us to 

^59 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

the quick. It demanded strong self control 
on the part of the loyal faction to listen to 
these cheer the sinking of the Lusitania and 
other outrages. 

To exasperate us further, they inscribed 
German house-names on the doors of the 
horse boxes in which they lived, conversed 
in German, sang in German, observed all 
German fete days and celebrations in Ger- 
man fashion. In short, they existed as a Ger- 
man colony in the heart of a fervently patri- 
otic settlement of Englishmen, and spared 
no effort to flout the flag of their birth. 
It seems incredible, but I am not exag- 
gerating when I say that an English word 
never fell from their lips, except in oppro- 
brium, or when they were compelled to con- 
verse with some of their fellow-prisoners. 
Indeed, in many instances, they had become 
so thoroughly Germanized as to speak imper- 
fect English with a guttural accent. 

Of course, the reason for this display of 
German sympathy was obvious. They were 
striving might and main to curry favor with 
the authorities, cherishing the hope that by 
such action they might ultimately gain free- 

260 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

dom or release "on pass;" and so be able to 
resume their commercial and professional 
occupations. We took the full measure of 
these creatures and so did the authorities, 
who detested the British, but seemed to have 
still greater contempt for those who disloy- 
ally renounced their citizenship and mas- 
queraded as Germans. 

The authorities distributed these renegade 
Englishmen promiscuously throughout the 
camp, but they invariably congregated to 
discuss in the vernacular the latest tidbits of 
news. Upon the approach of a loyal 
Britisher, however, conversation was dis- 
creetly dropped. 

It was the general belief that the authori- 
ties planted these traitors among us for the 
purpose of listening to our conversation and 
acting as general intelligence couriers. How 
correct this is, I do not know, but I can vouch 
for the fact that these considered no task too 
low which was likely to redound to their 
advantage. If a comment adverse to Ger- 
many were uttered it was surprising how 
quickly the authorities knew of it, and indis- 
creet actions, conducted in apparent privacy, 

261 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

likewise reached their ears with amazing 
rapidity. 

Consequently, we regarded these pseudo- 
Britishers with suspicion and made it clear 
to them that their company was not desired. 
Nevertheless, with apparent indifference, 
they participated in our conversations when- 
ever possible. 

During one of these, I remember, the name 
of the German Emperor happened to be men- 
tioned. One of the loyalists suddenly broke 
in with : 

*To hell with the Kaiser!" 

A few minutes later the prisoner was 
hailed before the officials for the grave crime 
of lese-majeste. As he was being cross-ex- 
amined, his eyes lighted on the traitor whom 
he recalled as being present when he con- 
signed His Imperial Majesty to the lower re- 
gions. But the spy was not abashed; he 
unblushingly repeated his accusation, and 
the charge being proven, the man was 
promptly consigned to the camp jail for a 
term of three weeks. Upon the announce- 
ment of the sentence, ominous threats were 
heard. The crowd did not hesitate to ex- 

262 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

press the particular forms of vengeance it 
would visit on the renegade, who, apprehen- 
sive of the future, besought the authorities 
for protection. The officials gravely warned 
him that if the informer were threatened or 
molested in any way, the most drastic pun- 
ishment would be meted out. 

One day we were paraded and commanded 
to take the straw from the sacks serving us 
as mattresses. We learned in a roundabout 
way that the straw was to be sent to the 
mills to be ground as a constituent for our 
war bread. After we had followed instruc- 
tions, we were escorted to a pile of wooden 
shavings and ordered to fill our sacks. Those 
first at the heap secured the most inviting 
shavings, but in the wild good-natured 
struggle that ensued much of the material 
became soiled from dirty boots. 

Moreover, we discovered that the shavings 
were in a deplorably wet condition. There 
was an outburst of indignation, but we made 
the best of the situation by emptying the 
sacks upon the ground in hopes that the sun 
would dry out the shavings. 

^63 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

I had a forbidden instrument, a camera, 
concealed upon my person, and it was my 
constant companion. The spectacle of the 
mattress shavings upon the ground sug- 
gested to my mind a picture of the way in 
which Germans looked after British pris- 
oners, and so, click went the shutter. Look- 
ing up suddenly, the moment after the snap- 
shot had been made, I caught sight of one of 
the renegade Britishers watching me nar- 
rowly. I saw that I had been detected; and 
pretending to ignore him as I moved away I 
kept him in the corner of my eye. I saw him 
approach one of the guards and talk with 
him, pointing in my direction. The soldier 
turned, followed me, for I had begun to move 
away, and hailed me, but I took no notice. I 
quickened my step and he did likewise. Then 
he started to run. So did I. With my brain 
working rapidly I dodged around the corner 
of a barrack with him in hot pursuit. How 
could I get rid of the incriminating camera? 
As I dived through one of the buildings I was 
seized with a sudden inspiration. Near by 
was a latrine and into it I darted like light- 
ning. Seizing a sheet of paper I wrapped the 

^4 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

camera in it and threw the obscure parcel 
into the pit. 

Up came the soldier with my accuser at 
his heels. The soldier rattled out a tirade 
in German which I pretended not to under- 
stand. 1 opened my eyes wide, shook my 
head to signify lack of comprehension, and 
remarked, '^Sorry, I do not understand Ger- 
man." 

A comrade who happened to be standing 
by, turned to me and said, ''The soldier says 
you have been taking photographs in camp." 

"Yes," babbled my excited accuser, "1 saw 
him take a peek-ture." 

"What," I roared, "I take a photograph! 
The man's mad." 

But my accuser was persistent. Nor was 
the soldier to be put off. He told me curtly 
that I should have to go with him to the 
guardhouse. 

"Certainly !" I answered. "We will. You 
have charged me with a very serious crime. 
Come along." 

I seized the soldier's arm to pull him to- 
ward the guardroom. 

My precipitancy had the desired effect. 

265 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

The soldier hesitated; he could not under- 
stand the situation. He realized that he 
might have been misinformed or perhaps 
have arrested the wrong person. 

If the charge proved empty, he and not I 
would receive a rap over the knuckles. He 
turned to the man who had given me away 
and they had a spirited altercation. But my 
accuser was not to be denied. 

"I tell you," he repeated, punctuating his 
words with his fist, "I saw him take the 
photograph. It was a peek-ture of the 
shav-eengs." 

A crowd had collected and were enjoying 
the fun, guessing from my behavior that 
even if I were guilty I had outwitted my 
accuser. The fact that one of the hated 
members of the camp had been caught nap- 
ping gave them immense delight. 

I cut further discussion short by seizing 
the soldier and literally pulling him to the 
guardroom. The crowd followed and we 
burst into the office unceremoniously. There 
was surprise at our abrupt entrance, and a 
spirited confab ensued. 

I demanded to see the Baron. The officials 

266 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

protested, but I emphasized the enormity 
of the charge against me, which if proved, 
exposed me to the risk of being shot, because 
I had originally been arrested and tried as a 
spy, and never acquitted. The officials 
grumblingly conceded and an interpreter v^as 
placed at my disposal. 

I related my story, in feigned temper and 
protesting so vehemently as to provoke the 
smiles of the officer, but my accuser stuck to 
his guns. The officer, presuming that a 
search of my person had been made and no 
incriminating evidence found, was disposed 
to dismiss the charge with a wave of his 
hand. But I now had my chance to com- 
plete the discomfiture of the despicable in- 
former who was seeking so diligently for 
crumbs of favor from the tables of official- 
dom. I insisted that I should be searched. 
To satisfy me, a perfunctory examination 
was carried out, officials running their hands 
lightly over my pockets. But this was not 
good enough for me. Taking off my coat 
and vest, I insisted upon a more thorough 
search, one conducted in the usual German 
manner. 

26/ 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

Of course, it was barren of result. My 
accuser, now thoroughl}^ discredited, looked 
about as happy as a whipped dog; and the 
soldier who had acted sincerely in accord- 
ance with his duty, feeling he had been 
fooled, turned upon his erstwhile ally and 
treated him to a detailed description of him- 
self that was more forcible than elegant. 

With my honorable discharge, I considered 
the incident closed, but my colleagues con- 
sidered the time a psychological one to ex- 
tract some satisfaction for the past miseries 
they had suffered at the hands of these spy- 
ing gentry. So late that night, a crowd of 
Britishers made their way cautiously to the 
barrack where the traitor was quartered in a 
horse box with five other British prisoners. 

My blood was thoroughly up, but the man 
refused my challenge to fight. The occu- 
pants of the box were in a quandary. They 
hesitated to pitch their fellow tenant out for 
fear he would go to the officials; on the 
other hand they could scarcely side with him 
openly. 

The tumult was now sufficient to arouse 
the soldier on duty who came up. But he 

268 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

was informed that we were going to settle 
this matter among ourselves. That a man 
who called himself an Englishman and be- 
trayed a companion in order to curry favor 
with the authorities could not escape punish- 
ment whatever happened. The soldier lis- 
tened, and then turning on his heel, said: 
"Very well, but I shall not see it," and 
stumped off to his room. This action was 
eloquent of the guard's opinion of this kind 
of ally. There was a lively set-to and the 
man received the drubbing he deserved. 

It was not long before every prisoner en- 
tertaining German sympathies became 
known to us ; and we dubbed them pro-Ger- 
mans, abbreviated to "P. G.'s." It was im- 
possible to hurl a worse epithet than "P. G." 
at a man. 

Subsequently a change was made, either 
because the authorities had gathered all the 
information they desired through the "P. 
G.'s" or because they feared that the hatred 
between the two factions would result in 
rioting. All the prisoners were summoned 
to parade. 
Having fallen in, the officer bellowed: 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

"All those having German sympathies 
stand forward." 

The majority of the prisoners, taking but 
little interest in the proceedings, and failing 
to listen very attentively, misunderstood the 
v^ord sympathies for interests, as the latter 
v^as invariably asked on these occasions. 
Consequently, a large number of men 
stepped forward. Those of us who had heard 
aright could scarcely believe our eyes. We 
had expected the "P. G.'s" to answer the 
summons with alacrity but here were many 
men whose loyalty had always been above 
suspicion. There was a pronounced hiss- 
ing which took the mistaken men by sur- 
prise. Looking around at us and seeing 
our expressions they realized some mis- 
take had been made, and one of them 
asked the officer to repeat the question. 
As. he did so, our loyal comrades stepped 
back into ranks, at which there was sup- 
pressed cheering. They were unmerci- 
fully badgered afterward by the rest of 
the camp. 

Our ranks once more solid, we concentrat- 
ed our hissing upon the "P. G.'s" who re- 



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ceived our hostility with smirks and gibes. 
When at last they were given the order to 
march to the racecourse for further instruc- 
tions their delight knew no bounds. Their 
unswerving belief in Germanism was to re- 
ceive its due reward. They were going to 
be released. 

Two days later it was our turn to whoop 
with delight. We learned that upon reach- 
ing the parade ground, these pro-Germans 
received a rude awakening. After being 
lined up, the officer in command advanced 
and said abruptly: 

"How many of those present are pre- 
pared to join the German army?" 

The "P. G.'s" were stunned. This was 
something for which they had not bargained. 
Their enthusiasm for the German cause 
slumped heavily. 

I do not know who regarded the back- 
sliders with greater contempt — the German 
officials or ourselves. 

I do not think the authorities secured 
many recruits for the Imperial Army. At 
all events, barely a handful apparently step- 



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ped forward from the ranks to buy release at 
such a price. 

But that parade was of benefit to us — it 
revealed our enemies. They had declared 
their sympathies openly. The feeling 
against them became more embittered than 
ever. The wonder is that open fighting did 
not occur. 

The authorities were quick to grasp the 
state of affairs; and concluded that it was 
preferable to remove the bone of contention. 
Accordingly the "P. G.'s" were again parad- 
ed, and lock, stock and barrel were trans- 
ferred to a separate part of the camp. 

But herding the "P. G.'s" together was not 
without its disadvantages, for newly arriving 
British prisoners were invariably assigned 
to these quarters and consequently found 
themselves avoided by the rest of the camp. 

One may ask why the newly-arriving loy- 
alists did not change their quarters at the 
first opportunity? Needless to say, many 
did so, but changing quarters was discour- 
aged. It would have played havoc with our 
organization, and the discontented would 



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have been eternally upon the move. How- 
ever, the matter could generally be adjusted 
in another way. The residents of a friendly 
barrack, having extra room, would offer to 
take in a new arrival of loyalist tendencies. 
In such instances the man made a moonlight 
flit. If this were impossible, he had to grin 
and bear it. 

I do not 'think there were any depths of 
infamy to which iKese men were not ready 
to descend. When the British Prisoners' Re- 
lief Fund was inaugurated, whereby a sum 
of five shillings — subsequently reduced — was 
paid through the American Embassy, the 
"P. G.'s'' were the first to claim it. This 
fund was really launched to assist necessi- 
tous prisoners among us, but there were a 
very great number of the poorer members 
of the community, who, though in dire need, 
were too proud to accept it. The action sa- 
vored too much of charity for their inde- 
pendent instincts. But the 'T. G.'s" had no 
qualms in this connection. They polled up 
en masse, asked for it, and received it regu- 
larly. Among this coterie there were many 
who were well off, but even they did not 

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hesitate to make application for the weekly 
payment, and openly chuckled about their 
success in this direction. 

The circumstance that so-called British- 
ers, who had openly renounced their alle- 
giance to the British cause, were weekly 
receiving money subscribed in Britain for 
the relief of the needy Britishers interned 
in Ruhleben, added to our disgust. The sub- 
ject was discussed time after time, but we 
could do nothing. Nor could the American 
Embassy exercise any discretion. The rep- 
resentatives were merely distributing the 
money, doubtless in accordance with a care- 
fully prepared list from home, the authors of 
which were obviously ignorant of the state 
of affairs. We might denounce the rene- 
gades as Teutons, but the German nation 
was not prepared to accept them as desir- 
able citizens. 

Their pandering to the Teuton officials 
was also nauseating. Whenever an officer 
passed, a "P. G.," no matter what he was 
doing at the moment, would come briskly 
to attention, and click his heels, impervious 
to the glance of withering scorn with which 



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his boot-licking action was received by the 
officer. 

Although we were starved as regards 
news of the outside world and the progress 
of the war, we always knew when a suppo- 
sitious German victory had been achieved, 
for on such occasions the "P. G.'s" held wild 
jubilations. The culminating celebration 
was held on the occasion of the sinking of 
the Lusitania, when some of them cheered 
and all of them were hilarious. When we 
learned the cause of this wild mirth our 
blood boiled. 

The "P. G.'s" remained in open hostility 
to the loyalists until the question of ex- 
changing prisoners came to the fore and an 
avenue to freedom was opened. Then these 
treacherous wretches suddenly realized that 
all was not honey under the German flag and 
forthwith displayed undue readiness to seek 
the protection of the Union Jack. 

Some succeeded in their petition and were 
included among the first batch of British 
prisoners to be released from Ruhleben. Con- 
sidering their treachery and antagonism to 
everything British while interned, the public 

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at home may possibly wonder how it was 
that they secured preference over the loyal- 
ist. But the authorities at home were either 
entirely ignorant or had only the slightest 
knowledge of the split in the camp ; and they 
were without any key to the names of those 
of German sympathies, for we could not re- 
fer to the subject in our letters home. 

One experience in the matter of exchange 
of prisoners is worthy of narration. The 
loyalist element in camp became disturbed 
by the receipt of news from England to the 
effect that one of the "P. G.'s," Guidal by 
name, who had been sent home a month pre- 
viously, had secured an appointment in a 
south coast town. The details were too defi- 
nite to be dismissed as mere rumor; among 
other things, his precise address was made 
known. 

Our indignation knew no bounds, more es- 
pecially when we recalled that this miserable 
traitor had been the most German among 
the pro-Germans, and had been unseemingly 
vociferous in the cheering which went up up- 
on the sinking of the Lusitania. We were 
absolutely unable to intervene to secure a 



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redress of this flagrant abuse of patriotism, 
as we were debarred from all mention of 
such incidents in our correspondence with 
home. A certain number of us however, met 
in conclave, and took a solemn pledge that 
the first of us to secure release should spare 
no effort to locate and denounce him. 

As I was the first of the number to gain 
my freedom, the task of looking up this man 
and his activities devolved upon me. I com- 
menced investigations, and learned that the 
man was not only occupying the position of 
tutor to English boys, but that he was on 
intimate terms with another master in the 
same school who was an out-and-out Ger- 
man and who was actually residing in a dis- 
trict prohibited to aliens. 

While prosecuting my enquiries upon the 
spot, in the town of Worthing, I came face to 
face in the street with the despicable rascal. 
I eyed him rather narrowly to make certain 
that it was he, for proper food and clothing 
"had made a vast difference in his appearance. 
His returning glance carried recognition, 
and I accosted him, remarking: 

''Hullo! How are you?" 

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He looked at me sheepishly, seeming half- 
disposed to disclaim the acquaintance, then 
realizing this was impossible, he replied with 
his characteristic deliberation: 

"Oh! It's Mr. Ma-hone-ey." 

I was not disarmed by his feigned surprise 
and tone of veiled welcome, but inquired 
what he had been doing since leaving Ruhle- 
ben. 

Evidently convinced that I knew a good 
deal about his current activities, he resorted 
to a candor which was somewhat disconcert- 
ing. He admitted having secured a position 
as assistant in a school, said that he was do- 
ing well, was comfortable, and was among 
friends. 

The information my inquiries yielded I 
handed over to a colleague identified with 
the British Empire Union. This friend made 
independent inquiries, and these investiga- 
tions not only corroborated my story, 
but were graced with further details which 
were more than sufficient for our pur- 
pose. It was then decided to make a per- 
sonal call upon this renegade, and my 
friend, accompanied by another loyalist, 

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B , who had been released from 

Ruhleben, proceeded to Worthing to have 
the matter thrashed out there and then. 

The returned prisoner B volunteered 

additional evidence of Guidal's behavior 
at Ruhleben if desired, the ultimate object 
being to notify the authorities of the 
presence of this highly dangerous individual 
in a south coast tow^n. 

But they v^ere too late — upon arrival at 
Worthing they found both of their birds had 
flown. The two had evidently gained infor- 
mation that the authorities were on their 
trail. Ample evidence was forthcoming to 
establish the danger of Guidal being at lib- 
erty; his treachery and pro-German activi- 
ties at Ruhleben were alone sufficient to 
prove that. 

It is hard to think that such a wretch 
gained his freedom at the expense of some 
loyal sufferer who stuck to his flag through 
every test. 



^79 



CHAPTER XIV. 

TRADING IN RUHLEBEN 

Although for a few weeks Ruhleben might 
very aptly have been called "The City of 
Lost Souls" because of our absolutely aim- 
less existence, it was not long before the 
commercial instinct asserted itself, and once 
felt, developed rapidly, the Britisher fully 
justifying his claim to the title of shop- 
keeper. 

In the heydey of its prosperity Ruhleben 
was a thriving center. Many trades flour- 
ished, and the row of shops — called ''can- 
teens" — imparted a busy, town-like atmos- 
phere to the colony. Bearing in mind that 
this prosperity was developed from the most 
meager material, it speaks volumes for the 
ingenuity and initiative of some of Ruhle- 
ben's inmates. 

The cradle of Ruhleben commerce was 
Barrack 6, and it is scarcely necessary to say 

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that it was the Hebrew element which 
started it. A number of Jewish prisoners 
commenced bartering among themselves, 
and the initial transactions were of the most 
primitive character — exchange of goods. 
But the articles available for such a system 
of trading were few in number and speedily 
traveled around the barrack. Those who 
were flush of funds promptly bought any- 
thing available for disposal, needless to say, 
at a ridiculous price, and got rid of the ac- 
cumulated goods at prices that allowed wide 
margins of profit. 

In the beginning, although trading had to 
be carried on secretly, the diversity of ar- 
ticles which could be secured through the 
Jewish tradesmen was startling. One thing 
is certain: they evidently evaded officialdom 
successfully and established trading rela- 
tions with their co-religionists in Germany. 
You could get anything you might desire, no 
matter how extraordinary, through the 
Jewish barrack. Articles in universal de- 
mand were forthcoming immediately, while 
anything special was generally procurable 
within a few days. 

281 



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I was instrumental in emphasizing the 
trading enterprise of the Jewish prisoners to 
my horse box companions. To my mind 
"Lights Out'* was sounded at an unearthly 
early hour. After a night or two the situa- 
tion grew unbearable and I informed my 
companions of my intention to put in an hour 
or two's work after the sentry had looked us 
over for the night. I intimated that I was 
going out to buy some candles. 

"Get some candles in Ruhleben," one of the 
men chuckled, "why, you might just as well 
try to walk home to England! Bet you a 
bob you don't get one !" 

"All right," I retorted, "I'll bet you a bob 
I do !" 

The wager was clinched and I sallied forth 
on what was put down as a hopeless shop- 
ping expedition. I made my way to the 
Jewish barrack and entered. Not being 
known to the inmates, who were very clan- 
nish, I was regarded with ill-concealed suspi- 
cion, and my discreet interrogations were 
received with an emphatic denial of all 
knowledge concerning a chandler. At last 
1 espied a prisoner with whom I was on fairly 



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intimate terms. I made known my request 
to him. He looked at me sideways. 

"Do you want them for yourself?" 

I nodded in assent. 

He slipped away in the darkness. He was 
gone some time and I was almost beginning 
to think that my shilling was lost when I felt 
two candles slipped into my hand. I turned. 
It was my Jewish friend. 

'Tourpence each," he said. 

Clink went the money and I returned to 
my domicile proudly displaying my "forbid- 
den" lights. I got the best of the deal, since 
the wager paid for the candles and left me 
fourpence to the good. 

The first open trading was conducted in 
Barrack 6. Tea, coffee and cocoa were un- 
known luxuries in those early days ; we had 
only the official acorn beverage. One day, 
two or three of the Jewish prisoners came 
around with a steaming bucket of tea which 
they offered at a penny a cup. This minia- 
ture "A.B.C." proved a tremendous success, 
and the proprietors could not meet the de- 
mand. The bucket vas used for a distress- 
ing variety of purposes, but we never 



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thought of that. The steaming beverage 
was such a treat that ft stifled all specula- 
tions. 

This first company proved such a success 
that it aroused the envy of another group of 
Jewish traders, who decided to operate in 
opposition. The competition was hailed with 
delight, since it served to keep prices steady. 
Both the Ruhleben "A.B.C." and the "Lyons" 
tea-shops did a thriving business and must 
have proved financial successes. The walk- 
ing coffee stalls by this time would doubtless 
have become huge businesses had they not 
been cut short by the initiation of self-gov- 
ernment. 

A third company launched out upon a dif- 
ferent enterprise. It supplied eatables— not 
in variety or plenty — but so appetizing as to 
render the scheme financially successful. 
They brought around small sandwiches, of 
the cheese variety for the most part, which 
they cleared out at from one penny to three- 
pence each. These sandwiches were small, 
and at times of doubtful quality, owing to 
fluctuations in the grade of raw materials, 
but coming as a distinct relief to the prevail- 

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ing rations they were heartily received by 
those who had the wherewithal to pay. 

The financial successes of the enterprising 
Jewish fraternity stimulated a youth in one 
of the other barracks to a commercial out- 
break in another direction. He was only 
about fifteen years of age but as keen as a 
March wind, and had been serving on a ship 
as cabin boy when he was arrested while his 
vessel was lying in a German port. He de- 
cided to start off as a shoeblack and secretly 
secured some decrepit brushes and some 
blacking. 

His venture came as a complete surprise. 
As we sauntered through the camp one 
morning we were astonished to see a shoe- 
black stand pitched at the corner of one of 
the barracks, with it's owner inviting every- 
one in lusty tones to have "boots cleaned." 
Probably for the first time since their arrest 
the prisoners realized the condition of their 
footwear. The shoeblack, with the para- 
phernalia of his trade displayed, revived 
memories of London, and the very operation 
of submitting to a boot-clean served to trans- 
port us in thought to the metropolis once 

^5 



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more. Imagination went a long long way 
in Ruhleben. 

Trade was brisk and continuous through- 
out the day, and his pockets were heavy 
when he returned to his barrack in the even- 
ing. His charges were distinctly of the 
town, and tips rained upon him as liberally 
as if he had, indeed, been back home. He be- 
came a familiar landmark, it being one of 
the accepted laws of the camp that a man 
was free to establish himself upon a certain 
spot in the public quarter and ply his trade 
unmolested so long as he desired. The 
original bootblack had not been on his pitch 
many days when a rival in trade appeared, 
followed by another, then another and 
another. They came in such rapid succes- 
sion as to convey the impression that 
boot-cleaning in Ruhleben was the short 
cut to affluence, and the manner in which 
they vied for patronage was amusing and 
instructive. The pioneer was content with 
a humble box, but some of those who came 
later sought wealth rapidly by doing the 
work in style. They labored long and 
hard contriving comfortable easy chairs 

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and upholstering them, the ultimate result 
being that the shoeblack's stand developed 
into a replica of the finest display of 
the American way of doing things in this 
field. 

To take a shoe-shine upon Bond Street 
became as inseparable from the fashionable 
doings of Ruhleben as an equestrian spurt 
in the Rotten Row at home. The dude, 
cigar in mouth, would loll in affected style 
in the chair, idly regarding passers-by, and 
ignoring chaff and banter, while, perhaps, 
one of his loft-colleagues wrestled with his 
boots. As may be supposed, the chairs were 
preferred to the less pretentious boxes, and 
the shoeblacks who boasted only the latter 
had to content themselves with the less 
wealthy clientele of the camp whose patron- 
age was far less steady and remunerative. 
In an effort to recapture the "smart set" the 
shoeboys embellished their boxes with many 
weird and attention-compelling signs exe- 
cuted in brass studs, and bold plates secured 
from home setting forth that "Peach Bloom 
Boot Polish" or "Night and Sparrow's Black- 
ing" was superior to all others. But these 



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efforts were of no avail and they gradually 
went out of business. 

The youth who had started the enterprise 
was not a whit dismayed by the turn of 
events, but set to work on another scheme. 
Securing possession of odd pieces of canvas 
and coarse sacking, he cut them up into bags 
filled them with straw, and advertised 
pillows for sale. As pillows were at that time 
an unknown comfort at Ruhleben, he once 
more did a flourishing business, especially 
as no more straw could be obtained in camp, 
the authorities having carefully gathered 
every wisp upon which they could lay their 
hands. How and where the boy obtained his 
supply was more than we could find out ; his 
first business venture had taught him the 
necessity of silence concerning his business 
methods and he carefully concealed his 
source of supply. 

When ordinary commerce flagged in the 
camp as a result of communal trading, he 
still kept things going, although his periods 
of activity in any one line grew gradually 
briefer. One of the most remunerative 
spasms of this description was raffling five 

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mark (five shillings) notes to the crowd. 
As a rule he persuaded from 80 to 100 men 
to have a go at a penny a time so that the 
occupation was highly profitable. He was 
ready to sell five-mark notes all day so long 
as he could rake in from 7s. to 8s. 6d. in 
pennies on each gamble. The plunge was 
oflf when the draw was not likely to exceed 
five shillings in the aggregate, the exchange 
of two sixpences for a shilling being sheer 
waste of time in his opinion. There were 
very few ventures upon which he embarked 
out of which he did not clear a handsome 
return. "Get in and out quickly before the 
novelty loses its pull" was his motto. The 
boy was candid. He was out to make as 
much money as he could. He had a mother 
at home, and she and her welfare were fore- 
most in his thoughts. 

Money was plentiful in Ruhleben Camp. 
I doubt if there is a town of similar size in 
any part of the world which could point to 
so much wealth. But the opportunities for 
spending it were severely restricted. One 
may, perhaps, wonder how such a state of 
affairs could prevail but it must be remem- 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

bered that our ranks were drawn from 
every strata of society. We had one or two 
extremely wealthy individuals, a large 
sprinkling of others who were very well off, 
while a big proportion were drawn from 
the comfortably situated commercial class. 
A large percentage of these were in regular 
receipt of money from home. 

When the camp settled down under com- 
munal government, a system of controlling 
the volume of money in circulation was in- 
troduced. The camp authorities decided that 
unlimited distribution and possession of 
money witHin the prison would exercise a 
disastrous effect, and accordingly, the gov- 
ernment acted as bankers. Prisoners who 
received remittances in excess of a certain 
sum deposited them with the authorities and 
were permitted to draw regularly upon their 
accounts, although no weekly withdrawal 
was supposed to exceed ten shillings. The 
imposition of this rule insured the depositor 
having ample funds for immediate needs, 
and it could be exceeded if there were suffi- 
cient reason, as for example, the purchase of 
clothing or house equipment. 

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This communal banking system offered 
protection against crime and, moreover, by 
restricting the spending capacity of the 
wealthier inmates maintained a more har- 
monious feeling in camp. Had the poorer 
residents seen a reckless expenditure of 
money on the part of the wealthy, resent- 
ment would have been inevitable, especially 
if the rich prisoners had been in the position 
to lay in large stocks of food because they 
had the cash to take advantage of the 
market. Credit was unknown in Ruhleben; 
the rich prisoner had to pay cash like his 
poorest confrere, and was unable to buy be- 
yond the extent of the money in his pocket. 

Yet, for some reason or other, many of 
these wealthier prisoners suffered from pro- 
longed spasms of financial cramp, due in my 
opinion to their readiness to keep camp- 
trading going briskly. They certainly did 
not believe in hoarding their money, and free 
currency circulation naturally led to the 
social betterment of the camp, but their 
action had one inevitable result. Money- 
lending became an established occupation. 
So far as Ruhleben was concerned there was 

2QI 



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no or very little risk; the remittances came 
regularly and all debts were immediately 
discharged. 

I myself practised money-lending on a 
small scale but charged no interest. I had 
set up as an engraver and jeweler and found 
my business highly profitable, but I was 
always apprehensive concerning the safety 
of my money. By lending it out in small 
amounts to various prisoners I virtually 
banked it. Moreover, I discovered money- 
lending to be an excellent stepping stone to 
the sale of jewelry, and I gradually estab- 
lished a clientele that I could notify as soon 
as I had a new line of goods of which to 
dispose. Thus, for instance, when I received 
a consignment of cigarettes which I had to 
clear up at once before the authorities con- 
fiscated them, I had only to let my patrons 
know that "coffin nails" were in stock, and 
I usually received sufficient orders to get 
rid of my stock immediately without going 
beyond this ring of customers. 

When the commercial possibilities of the 
camp came to be realized every prisoner with 
an ounce of enterprise ventured into some 



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field of activity, but the majority failed to 
stick to their jobs. After a few days, the 
occupation lost its interest and they were 
ready to sell out their remaining stocks at 
ridiculously low prices. Nearly every enter- 
prise was apt to be a nine days' wonder; 
and the rolling stone had a glorious time. 
To-day it would be dealing in clothes ; a week 
hence cobbling would be the craze, to give 
way in turn to tailoring or some other form 
of enterprise. Trade booms came and went 
in bewilderingly rapid succession, but few 
callings survived; and by the time the rush 
was over, more money had been lost than 
gained. 

This cult of the "craze" was demonstrated 
in various directions, notably in connection 
with what might be termed the fashions. 
One morning one of the dons created con- 
sternation in the street by appearing with 
his hair neatly parted in the center and care- 
fully plastered down on each side with a 
glossy finish. Immediately, every prisoner 
hastened back to his barrack to brush his 
hair in the same way. Parting in the center 
became the vogue : to abstain from the latest 

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mode was to be ranked as a complete out- 
sider in the camp. Then another leader of 
fashion conceived the idea of allowing his 
beard to grow. Everybody else did like- 
wise. Later the clean-shaven craze came in, 
and beards vanished as if by m.agic. Then 
the moustache had a run, and so it went on. 
No fashion enjoyed a long vogue, with the 
exception, perhaps, of the beard, which was 
found to be an excellent protection to the 
face during the bitter winter weather. But 
such crazes were not without their beneficial 
features. Thev stimulated individual enter- 
prise, created trade, and encouraged the cir- 
culation of money, which, after all, was the 
primary consideration of those prisoners 
who had to keep things going by hook or 
crook in the determination to turn a few 
shillings wherewith to buy the fuel to keep 
the human engine going. 

Individual enterprise in Ruhleben had a 
big opportunity and a highly successful run, 
but it was interrupted summarily. It was 
not free from disadvantages. Budding 
princes of commerce who failed to make 
good, and who tired of their businesses, sold 

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out at low prices. One or two of the more 
astute prisoners, trained men of commerce, 
were always ready to acquire languishing 
concerns possessed of any promise of suc- 
cess, and consequently, there was the danger 
of monopolies becoming established, and the 
dread of trust operations in Ruhleben 
brought about a movement which ruled out 
the individual business man, except within 
certain limitations, as narrated in the fol- 
lowing chapter. 



^5 



CHAPTER XV. 

THE TRADING BOOM 

Among the many innovations of the com- 
munal government which met with whole- 
hearted approval was the prohibition of in- 
dividual trading in necessary articles. The 
term was wide in its interpretation, com- 
prising foodstuffs, clothing, in short, any- 
thing which was in widespread demand 
and to the benefit of the community. 
It was a demonstration of socialistic 
trading upon a comprehensive scale, and, 
all things considered, proved a com- 
plete success. It ruled out the profiteer; 
secured control of the supply of neces- 
saries which, in turn, contributed to 
equitable distribution; and insured prison- 
ers obtaining what articles were urgently 
required at a reasonable price. 

It was not only the communal government 
which brought about the disappearance of 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

the individual tradesman. The German 
authorities acquiesced in the proposal, and, 
in fact, took steps to see that private trading 
in necessary articles was suppressed. To 
venture into such a field was to invite cer- 
tain disaster and punishment. The official 
action was prompted by motives vastly 
different from those of the camp govern- 
ment. The latter acted merely from 
the defensive point of view; the former 
lent its powerful co-operation because it 
drew 7^2 per cent, commission upon the 
income derived from trading operations. 
Clandestine trading in necessaries would 
have deprived the German authorities of a 
certain amount of revenue; hence the en- 
ergy it displayed in suppressing individual 
enterprise. 

As the demand for necessaries was far 
in excess of the supply and the field offered 
attractive possibilities to aspiring Universal 
Providers, it may be thought that the as- 
sumption of trading operations in this con- 
nection by the communal authorities would 
effectively smother individual initiative, but 
this was not so. It merely obliged ambitious 

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traders to become more daring in their un- 
dertakings. They were free to embark upon 
any venture which did not rank as a neces- 
sity. Thus, for example, I set up as an 
engraver and jeweler. Another prisoner 
was skilled in marble carving and polishing, 
and he was permitted to ply his craft un- 
molested. 

From the foregoing it will be seen that 
sufficient scope was granted to the indus- 
trious to build up a business. The com- 
munal ruling had one beneficial effect: it 
eliminated the get-rich-quick type of trader, 
who even in the internment camp was alert 
to exploit his fellows if the opportunity were 
presented. 

To recapitulate all the ways and means 
whereby shillings were earned at Ruhleben 
Camp would be wearisome. The majority 
became infected with the money-making 
bacillus, and no job was considered too 
arduous or humble so long as it brought an 
adequate reward. From the first, waiting 
in the queue at the parcels office for a pres- 
ent from home was tedious, and it became 
additionally irksome later on if one hap- 



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pened to be established in business, as it in- 
volved shutting up shop, possibly for sev- 
eral hours. If a prisoner were ill and un- 
able to leave his quarters, he felt the absence 
of the parcel which he knew was waiting, 
with especial keenness, as it probably con- 
tained something of which he was in serious 
need, such as a tin of milk or nourishing 
British bread. 

One day a prisoner suggested that he 
be permitted to fetch a sick prisoner's parcel. 
The man, who was too ill to fetch it himself, 
gladly accepted the offer and gave his com- 
rade the requisite authority. Up to this 
time we had been somewhat doubtful as to 
whether the authorities would hand over a 
parcel to anyone but its lawful owner, and 
so the experiment was followed somewhat 
anxiously. The man came back with the 
parcel, and related that no objections had 
been raised, the officials accepting the writ- 
ten authority as completely relieving them 
of all responsibility in case of a dispute. 

The man who had fulfilled the errand was 
rewarded with a ^'tip," and this reward set 
him thinking. He offered to serve any other 



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prisoner in a similar capacity, at a nominal 
charge, and made such a good thing out of 
the job that in a short time we could point 
to an efficient service of professional parcel 
clearers. 

At that time the system of clearing the 
parcels from the office was not organized, 
and this service proved wonderfully con- 
venient. The parcel clearers divided the 
camp into territories, to avoid competition 
and confusion. They would make the trip 
to the official notice-board, notify each pris- 
oner therein that a parcel was awaiting 
claim, and request the necessary written 
authority to clear it. Armed with this dec- 
laration they took their position in the queue> 
presented themselves at the office window, 
and secured delivery. After they had made 
one or two such appearances at the window, 
their faces, as well as the list of prisoners 
for whom they were acting, became familiar 
to the officers in charge, and the parcels 
were handed over without delay. 

Parcel-clearing prevailed until the whole 
system of distributing the parcels was placed 
upon more scientific footing with two win- 

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dows "A to K," and "L to Z/' This method 
upset the simplicity of collection, since a 
man collecting parcels from both win- 
dows had to attach himself to the end 
of each queue to await his turn. Parcel- 
clearing then lost its attractions because it 
took longer to earn the money incidental to 
the errands, and so the service fell off, al- 
though it is still practised upon a less com- 
prehensive scale. 

These collectors also served another use- 
ful purpose, somewhat reminiscent of the 
District Messenger Service of London. I 
have already referred to the fact that the 
communal shops announced when certain 
articles of food were on hand and how 
queues formed outside these shops. A pris- 
oner could call upon one of the messengers 
to assume a position in the queue for him 
and then at a later hour exchange places 
with him. It was a highly convenient serv- 
ice, and widely appreciated, while the cost 
was only twopence! 

When we were first interned the German 
Government reduced its expenditure upon 
culinary articles to the minimum, and we 

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were only supplied with basins. We felt 
the absence of plates, knives and forks 
keenly, until one prisoner secured a stock 
and started a prosperous business. They 
were apparently purchased from a German 
firm, but we never troubled our heads over 
the thought of trading with the enemy, so 
eager were we to secure the utensils, and 
we willingly paid the enterprising trades- 
man's prices, which were certainly at war 
level. 

The introduction of plates gave birth to 
another lucrative calling. This was a dish- 
washing service, and as hot water was then 
a luxury, only obtainable from the kitchen, 
there was not a single man among us who 
could truthfully confess that he appreciated 
the task. The appearance of the service 
was hailed with delight, and when we com- 
menced to receive parcels from home, the 
dish-washers did a thriving business. Their 
charges were trivial in comparison with the 
service they rendered, and they deserved 
€very penny they earned. The heating ap- 
paratus attached to each barrack was 
equipped with an exhaust steam pipe dis- 

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charging into the open air through the side 
wall; and at these the dish-washers used 
to congregate, armed with small basins of 
water which they held so that the steam 
could play upon the water and warm it, an 
arm-breaking task, for ten minutes exposure 
was necessary to take the chill off the water. 
Another occupation was created by the 
residents in the lofts and horse boxes, who 
appointed orderlies to keep the barracks 
clean and neat. The appointment lasted as 
long as the orderly cared to hold it. His 
weekly salary was paid by the occupants, 
the usual contribution from each being 10 
pfennigs — one penny — per week, although 
some of the wealthy prisoners gave more. 
In the horse boxes, this service was supple- 
mented by that of "fags.'' The fag was not 
posted to a single box but had a regular 
round of patrons. His duties were keeping 
the apartment clean, making the beds and 
performing similar services. The average 
weekly payment for this was about 5 shill- 
ings a box. When a prisoner was fagging 
to three, four or half a dozen boxes regularly, 
his weekly aggregate was not to be despised. 

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Still another prisoner was inspired to make 
money by the obvious need of laundering fa- 
cilities in the camp and he set up as a laun- 
dryman. It was a case of wash in the even- 
ing and return the following morning, as 
many of the prisoners had but one shirt and 
one pair of socks. This individual found 
himself in great demand, but it is doubtful 
if his venture paid him, for soap meant a 
heavy investment and the clothes were so 
soiled as to require hard rubbing. Even 
then it was a subject for friendly discus- 
sion as to whether the clothes were not 
dirtier after than before — at all events their 
appearance did not undergo improvement. 
His initiative sufficed to set a laundry boom 
going. There was a run on soap supplies 
and the washerman worked hard and long, 
but a strong objection was raised to the lofts 
being turned into drying rooms at night. 
We could have tolerated the depressing sight 
presented by the lines of saturated clothing, 
but wet bedding did not contribute to the 
general comfort; and the prisoners ordered 
the workers to dry their clothes outside. 
This was done, though unwillingly. 

304 



<^ta^ cmsS. Spcu^ndcLU.. ^^^ '^ 




A&S.U. SAUCE 

■' NOTHING LIKE IT," 



PRICE 50 PFENNIGS. 

Cover design of the Christmas, 1916, number of 
The "Ruhleben Camp Magazine." 



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No longer was it possible for a prisoner 
to have his undergarments washed out over 
night and dried in readiness for morning. At 
least a day outside on the line was neces- 
sary; and those who could not afford a 
change of clothing either had to continue 
wearing what they possessed until it 
would no longer hold together or pass a 
day in bed while it was laundered. Gen- 
erally speaking, the enterprise was not 
popularly acclaimed ^ still in accordance 
with the trend of things at Ruhleben 
it had its boom. After we demanded 
that the drying be conducted in the 
open air, the limited open space out- 
side the barracks — this was before the 
days of the ''field" — became crossed with 
a gridiron of lines upon which the 
washed garments flapped wildly, trans- 
forming the area into a scene sugges- 
tive of the backyards of the London tene- 
ment district. We insured our comfort at 
night, but we suffered untold miseries dur- 
ing the day. 

I, myself, was not free from the desire 
to try my hand at something to earn money, 

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for I needed it badly. I commenced in a 
humble way, washing shirts at a penny a 
time, then embarking upon dishes, until I 
found it unprofitable. Later, I advertised 
that I was open to buying anything, and was 
therewith snowed under by the ensuing 
volume of business, especially in old boots. 
After that I ventured as a professor of 
phrenology, and ''feeling bumps" in Ruhle- 
ben was very profitable while it lasted. But 
my sheet anchor was engraving, which I 
diligently prosecuted for several months, 
with jewelry and watches as side lines. The 
venture proved a great success, notwith- 
standing several Teuton hunts through my 
little shop for articles wrought of gold, ex- 
peditions void of profit for those concerned. 
Tobacco was always welcome in Ruhle- 
ben, and it mattered little what sort so long 
as it could be smoked. British cigarettes 
were considered articles de luxe, although 
those which came in the parcels from home 
were often of the cheapest variety. When- 
ever possible, I placed British cigarettes on 
sale and a rush of trade ensued. I was in- 
clined to be selective in my choice of cus- 

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tomers, preferring to sell them to my regu- 
lar clientele, for this served to keep my 
trade connection alive. I had a rule never 
to sell more than twenty-five at a time to 
any one customer, although I often had the 
chance to dispose of more. On one occasion 
a prisoner offered to buy out my whole 
supply at very generous terms, but I 
suspected him of wanting to corner the 
market and refused his tempting offer. Such 
attempts were frequently made; sometimes 
they proved successful, at others, the plun- 
ger burned his fingers. Success turned on 
one's ability to jump in and out quickly. One 
never knew what the next day's parcels 
would bring to upset any cornering scheme; 
moreover, public fancy was fickle and it 
was risky to repeat a successful venture. 

It was my decision to specialize in one 
line of goods, to which I attribute my com- 
mercial success. Once I discovered a Jew- 
ish fellow-prisoner who had a stock of wrist 
watches with which he had not been suc- 
cessful. I got in touch with him and offered 
to buy the lot, stating my terms of pur- 
chase. To him the price seemed ridiculous, 

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but I held out, and as he was anxious to 
get rid of them, he finally came down to my 
figure. I sold every watch before many 
hours had passed and at an attractive price, 
to his intense disgust. He thought I had been 
fairly landed with a sticking line and had 
been chuckling at his scoop in getting rid 
of them. He was a commercial sport, how- 
ever, and offered to sell me another consign- 
ment at the same figure. 

One might wonder what possibilities for 
engraving could exist at Ruhleben, yet it 
kept me working from morning to night 
as hard as I could. When I started my 
business I canvassed the camp from end to 
end, creating trade and urging everyone to 
order some inscribed memento of the in- 
ternment camp. Orders rained in upon me. 
Watches, links, brooches and souvenirs of 
all sorts were brought to me to receive in- 
scriptions. I cut the price to half of those 
prevailing at home, for I was in desperate 
need of employment to distract my 
thoughts, and as engraving calls for com- 
plete concentration I was able to occupy my 
mind very effectively. 

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Cups and other prizes awarded at the 
sports, and also presentations were entrusted 
to my charge to receive inscriptions, 
and some of these undertakings proved 
exceedingly difficult. One job which I 
regard with intense pride was the en- 
graving of a pair of sleeve links pre- 
sented by the canteen staff to Mr. Pyke 
as a recognition of his masterly direc- 
tion of that difficult enterprise. The 
order called for the engraving of 170 letters 
upon the four surfaces, each of which was 
about the size of a threepenny piece. The 
characters are naturally microscopic, but 
they are cleanly cut and readable. To con- 
vey some idea of the profit involved, I have 
earned as much as £4 in one day, working 
from 5 A. M. to 9 P. M., while in four months 
I cleared £150 profit. 

Other industrious prisoners were equally 
lucky. When the prisoners commenced to 
take an interest in their appearance, the 
professional barbers among us saw a golden 
opportunity. The hairdressing saloon be- 
came part of every barrack. The barber 
established himself just within the entrance, 

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the conditions naturally compelling him to 
carry his stock-in-trade to and fro every 
morning and night. They did a flourishing 
business, and each, by mutual agreement, 
secured an assured patronage. For an 
inmate of one barrack to patronize the 
barber of another was considered an un- 
pardonable sin. A prisoner was sup- 
posed to support the hairdresser of his own 
barrack, and this feeling was so strong that 
the barber of one barrack would not will- 
ingly attend to a customer from another. 
But hairdressing was subsequently ruled to 
be a necessary trade and a well appointed 
central hairdressing saloon was established 
in the grandstand and run by the communal 
government. 

As time went on and business developed, 
authors and journalists entered the lists. 
The coming of the theater gave the artists 
and ticket-writers a glorious chance to de- 
vise striking and attractive posters, which 
were displayed upon all eligible advertising 
spaces, though they found their markets 
somewhat limited until the camp magazine 
was launched. But although their zeal was 

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laudable prices were low. Water colors sold 
as a rule for 3d. to Is. each; art connoisseurs 
in Ruhleben were not disposed to pay fancy- 
prices for unique contemporary master- 
pieces. Portrait-painters had a successful 
run owing to the absence of photography, 
but were challenged keenly by cartoonists, 
the humorous in the internment camp never 
failing to make appeal. Another branch of 
activity which met with deserving recom- 
pense was model-making. Some of these 
works were distinctly noteworthy, those 
dealing with sections of the camp prepared 
to scale, arousing widespread attention from 
their striking fidelity to the most minute 
detail. 

As trading developed, anything which 
could be converted into something saleable 
by efifort and ingenuity was seized upon. 
The garbage barrels were ransacked for 
material. One prisoner collected the shal- 
low pots and glass vessels, originally con- 
taining potted meat or jam, which had been 
sent to the camp from home. These he 
cleaned and nattily worked up to be sold 
as ash-trays. He cleared them out at three- 

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pence each, the Ruhleben Club proving one 
of his best customers. Tins, pieces of wood, 
and other rubbish were similarly reclaimed, 
to be worked up into something of unusual 
novelty or utility. 

Despite our mad zeal for trading, charity 
was not ignored and none of us were too 
busy to give effort and labor on behalf of 
a good cause. 

While the commercial instinct was upper- 
most, life in Ruhleben was brisk and 
crammed with incident ; but as the facilities 
became curbed, owing to the intervention of 
the authorities and to the economic depres- 
sion developing in the country itself, trading 
zeal languished. The boom petered out, 
and it is to be feared that Ruhleben has re- 
lapsed into that state of suspended activity 
and despondency characteristic of the early 
days of the camp's existence. 



312 



CHAPTER XVL 

CHRISTMAS IN RUHLEBEN, 

"You can well understand our feeling of horror at 
the prospect of going through a third winter in a prison 
camp!" 

These words were written by one of the 
Britishers interned at Ruhleben a few days 
before Christmas, 1916. The outlook was, in- 
deed, dismal. Food was scarce, except for 
the parcels from England; fuel was running 
short; trading activity in Ruhleben had 
slumped — in short, a wave of utter despond- 
ency had overwhelmed the camp. 

But it was the winter of 1914 — our first 
at Ruhleben — that will never be forgotten 
by any one of the 4,000 odd interned British. 
It was an unholy nightmare, the mere 
memory of which causes one who passed 
through it to shiver involuntarily, even 
when comfortably ensconced beside a blaz- 
ing hearth at home. 

There was one prospect more than any 

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other that we regarded with dread — that of 
spending the joyful season of Yuletide in 
prison and in exile. The vaunted Teutonic 
organization had broken down under the 
strain which our internment had imposed, 
and the officials were at their wit's end to 
know what to do. We misinterpreted this 
manifestation of mismanagement. During 
the dreary days of November we nursed the 
thought that we should spend Christmas 
with our loved ones. What else could Teu- 
ton apathy signify? Our excitement grew 
intense; the most sensational stories flew 
hither and thither through the camp. The 
tenor of each one was identical : we were go- 
ing to be sent home. Whence these rumors 
started, no one seemed to know and cared 
less. 

Crouching over the basin of coffee and 
piece of black bread, shivering with cold and 
fanned by icy draughts, with tempers too 
quick to permit the slightest civil word, a 
member of the party would valiantly strive 
to liven matters by idly remarking: 

"Did you hear that story down at the 
kitchen? They say all civilian prisoners are 

3^4 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

going to be exchanged on the understanding 
that neither country will use them as 
soldiers." 

"Shucks!'' would come the growled com- 
ment from sceptics, accompanied by guf- 
faws of derision from others. But those 
hoping against hope shuffled off to relate the 
story in undertones to colleagues who were 
content to accept Dame Rumor without the 
slightest questioning, the narrator embroid- 
ering the report to satisfy his imagination. 
And so the idle remark was bandied from 
party to party, undergoing distortion, until 
it had completed its circuit of the camp, and 
had returned to us in scarcely recognizable 
form. One of the prisoners, his face beam- 
ing, would burst in, and with firm and cheery 
conviction, call out: 

"Well, boys ! It won't be long now before 
we're home. The Germans have had enough 
of us, and are going to clear us out before 
Christmas! Fact! I heard it on good 
authority, and it's official !" 

"What's the reason?" innocently asked by 
a sceptic, who had ridiculed the rumor when 
first uttered. 

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"Oh! The fellow who told me says that 
Germany is finding it too expensive to keep 

us r 

Howls of derisive mirth would greet this 
solemn assurance. 

Every hour brought its variation of the 
old, old story. It was only those among us 
who had previously experienced other Ger- 
man prisons who had the hardihood to 
greet these yarns with noisy hilarity. Per- 
sonally, I believe it was certain of the offi- 
cials among the Germans themselves, who, 
in the first instance, gave rumor wing. 
From previous experience in Wesel, Senne- 
lager, and Klingelputz, I knew it was quite 
in keeping with their tactics to cultivate 
such hopes. Thereby they were likely to 
keep us quiet and tractable. However, as 
time wore on, the authorities became ap- 
prehensive as to the after-effects which 
would be likely to arise. They realized 
that once the prisoners saw through the 
delusion and realized that they had been 
mercilessly, even cruelly, hoodwinked, that 
infinite trouble might ensue. 

One morning we received a curt summons 



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to parade. Everyone hurried up, taut with 
excitement. The officer roared: 

"Prisoners! You will be permitted to 
receive parcels from home if you can get 
them. But if any further rumors are cir- 
culated through the camp relating to your 
pending release, which is not going to be 
considered for a moment, no effort will 
be spared to trace their origin, and the of- 
fender, if caught, will suffer punishment." 

This was shivering the idol of hope with 
a vengeance. The facial studies which fol- 
lowed this pronouncement baffle descrip- 
tion. I have never seen such lugubrious 
"all-is-up" expressions. The Teuton is 
nothing if not heartless when apparently 
extending concessions. It was all very well 
for the officer to remark, with assumed 
magnanimity, that we might receive par- 
cels from home to cheer us at Christmastide, 
but how about those of us who hailed from 
Britain? How should we be able to receive 
such welcome gifts in time? Letters took 
from ten to fifteen days to reach home, ow- 
ing to the caprice of the authorities, while 
parcels occupied from three weeks to a 

317 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

month to come out! And here was Christ- 
mas hard upon us! Truly cynicism is su- 
perlative among German characteristics. 

The solemn warning, however, did not 
exercise the slightest effect. The optimists, 
surviving the first shock of disaster, popped 
up as lively as ever. They construed the 
Teuton official action as an astute display 
of bluff; but those amongst us who had suf- 
fered in other prisons and who had every 
reason to know that the Germans meant 
what they said, decided to take the law into 
our own hands. Rumor had had far too 
long and untrammeled a sway. We caught 
one of the story-mongers red-handed. We 
did not denounce him to the authorities to 
ascertain the character of the punishment 
to be awarded, we ducked him in the pond. 
The icy cold water quenched his imagination 
very effectively, and the rumors grew less. 

Then the Germans artfully laid another 
snare to lull us into tractability. A care- 
fully-prepared story was circulated to the 
effect that on Christmas Day we were to 
receive an unexpected treat. Although far 
from home, and victims of circumstances, 

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we were to be given the time of our lives 
at the expense of the German nation. It was 
to be a time which we would never forget, 
and it would dispel every feeling of gloom 
and dejection. The Germans, so we were 
led to believe, were fully aware of the joy- 
ousness and festivity with which the Brit- 
isher honored the Yuletide Season, and how 
keenly he appreciated roast beef, plum pud- 
ding, mince pies, and numerous other dain- 
ties associated with the season. This deeply 
rooted institution was to be suitably hon- 
ored. 

This unexpected outburst of Teuton mag- 
nanimity and fellow-feeling took us com- 
pletely by surprise. It seemed so foreign to 
the German nature. And I must admit that 
in one respect the authorities were correct 
in their phophesy. There is not one of us 
who will ever forget the dinner received on 
Christmas Day, 1914, in Ruhleben prison 
camp. 

The announcement effected its object. 
The story provided us with another topic 
of conversation, and smothered all further 
discussion regarding pending release. Those 

3^9 



TERMED IN GERMANY 

who had fallen into the slough of despond- 
ency were re-lifted to a state bordering on 
ecstacy. 

A week before Christmas I was the re- 
cipient of an unexpected treat — a parcel of 
400 British cigarettes. None of us had 
tasted the flavor of a home-made cigarette 
since we had been interned, and the only 
smokes that we could obtain at that time 
were those cheap articles which the Ger- 
mans alone know how to make — and to 
smoke ! There were 140 men in my barrack 
and the cigarettes were distributed among 
them. No one can picture the joy which 
those fags gave. The men smoked them 
slowly, enjoying the taste and aroma of the 
tobacco to the full. But what were 400 
cigarettes among so many? They did not 
last long, and we soon came down to the 
sole remaining "coffin nail." Who out of the 
twelve in our party should have the honor 
of its company? This momentous issue was 
settled in true Ruhleben manner: we went 
outside the barrack, placed the cigarette 
upon a post, and each advanced in turn for 
a draw. By careful management, we suc- 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

ceeded in securing two puffs each; and the 
fragment we finally discarded afforded ex- 
treme delight to a sailor, who recovered it 
and promptly rammed it into his pipe. 

Christmas Eve arrived. With what de- 
light we looked forward to the morrow. 
During the preceding days nothing had been 
discussed but the coming feast of Lucullus, 
and our wan faces commenced to glow in 
pleasurable anticipation. The few among us 
whom no specious German promise could 
buoy up, having had experience in this con- 
nection, hesitated to express our innermost 
thoughts. We studiously reserved our opin- 
ions, being perfectly content to wait and 
see. 

Although the Germans might furnish us 
with another bitter disappointment, a kindly 
sympathetic heart outside was resolved that 
we should not be entirely deprived of all the 
joys associated with Christmastide. Mrs. 

K , the wife of our popular colleague, 

W.T.K. , sent a parcel to each member 

of our party. It was hailed with unmiti- 
gated pleasure. Her womanly action was 
appreciated to the full, and although we felt 

321 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

that our joy was at the expense of our col- 
league, still we thanked him and his con- 
sort wholeheartedly and toasted their 
health. 

As evening, glooni, and darkness settled 
down we became more fretful and taciturn. 
Strive how we might we could not banish 
from our minds thoughts of home and the 
merry times we were wont to have at this 
season of the year. 

Christmas Eve was not without excite- 
ment. The "P.-G.'s" decided to have a good 
old time so far as the limitations of their 
quarters would allow them, and they en- 
deavored to ignore the loyalist -element com- 
pletely. Their German friends and relatives 
had sent them bulky parcels, which, when 
opened, were found to be packed with little 
Teuton Christmas delights and emblems — 
colored wax candles, diminutive Christmas 
trees, and similar articles. Armed with 
these sinews for keeping up the good old 
times they proceeded to celebrate the Yule- 
tide. The candles were stuck in the mouths 
of empty bottles, as candlesticks, and dis- 
played on the tables, while each prisoner 

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routed among his belongings to fish out 
mementos from home. When these hurried 
decorations had been completed to satisfac- 
tion, and the candles had been lighted, they 
sang the German patriotic songs. 

Soon we were all hustled to bed. But 
not to sleep, although I tried desperately. 
So I got up to pace the narrow alley-way, 
extending the full length of the black hole, 
flanked on either side by the bunks contain- 
ing my recumbent colleagues. 

The cold was intense ; it penetrated to and 
chilled my marrow. Our quarters had not 
received any heating apparatus at that time, 
and many of the prisoners had not even been 
given a blanket. They lay huddled in shape 
less masses, snuggling together upon the 
dirty loose straw, to profit from collective 
warmth. One and all, almost without ex- 
ception, were shivering in their sleep. 

The straw, saturated with filth and 
thickly invested with vermin, emitted a hor- 
rible stench as it became heated up by the 
emaciated bodies of the sleepers, with which 
was mingled the nauseating odor of stale 
clothing and human perspiration. The 

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sleepers tossed upon their hard couches like 
cattle, vainly endeavoring' to burrow into 
the strav^. 

The sounds coming involuntarily from 
the prone forms were heartrending. The 
majority of the men, their nerves over- 
wrought, were jabbering incoherently in 
their slumber. Many were crying and sob- 
bing pitifully. It was a restless sea of out- 
raged humanity calling out to Heaven in 
its sleep. 

After a while, one or two other prisoners, 
who were unable to secure oblivion through 
sleep, got up and joined me in my pacings. 
But walking in the darkness was no 
panacea, so we decided to gain a little 
respite from our thoughts by emulating the 
actions of our childhood on such a night as 
this. We hung our stockings and socks from 
the rafters, as if in mockery of the dawning 
day of peace and good will. The occupation 
satisfied our minds. At last, thoroughly 
worn out, we threw ourselves down to sink 
into a deep and welcome sleep. 

When the prisoners awoke and caught 
sight of the empty socks and stockings hang- 

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ing mournfully from the rafters the loft 
rang with shouts of mocking laughter and 
banter. But so far as our party was con- 
cerned the mirth was misplaced. True, our 
stockings were empty, but under our pillows 
we found welcome prize packets, containing 
handkerchiefs, cigarettes, socks, and other 
little trifles of which we were in sore need. 

A good fairy, once again Mrs. K , had 

imparted Christmas spirit to our prison. Her 
husband had received them in bulk, and had 
surreptitiously slipped them beneath our 
pillows. The discovery of these so deeply 
moved us that we were incapable of a word 
of gratitude, but our mute appreciation 
proved far more telling than the most pro- 
fuse expressions of pleasure. 

We were astir early, and the majority, 
each with his basin tucked under one arm, 
and his other hand clutching his hunk of 
bread, moved off to the Church under the 
grandstand to participate in the early morn- 
ing service with which we had decided to 
welcome the coming of Christmas Day. One 
of our number had agreed to officiate. 

That Christmas morning service was at- 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

tended by one of the most dejected and 
motley crowds of humanity which has ever 
graced the EstabHshed Church. Everyone 
shivered with the cold. Snow and slush car- 
peted the ground outside, while the air had 
a biting sting. Some of the Faithful came 
in clogs; others with their feet protruding 
pitifully from tattered footwear. Those 
possessing overcoats drew them tightly 
round them, but many appeared only in 
their thin vests, ungraced by either collar 
or tie. I presented myself in my complete 
wardrobe — coarse corduroy trousers, tied 
under the knee with string, hitched up by a 
tattered belt, and a gray shirt. We took 
the precaution to carry our basin and bread 
with us, because the service was scarcely 
likely to be over before we were due at the 
kitchen before breakfast. It was the chilli- 
est Christmas morning I can recollect, not 
only as regards the weather, but from the 
human temperament point of view as well. 
Things had grown so desperate that the 
most amiable could hardly speak a civil word 
to any one. 
To me the service seemed strangely out 

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of place. There was a conspicuous absence 
of that buoyant atmosphere associated with 
Christmas morning. Greetings were cer- 
tainly exchanged, but in hollow mockery, 
with gibe and jeer. The service was un- 
eventful, except in connection with one 
hymn, the great Ruhleben favorite. This is 
Hymn 376 from the Ancient and Modern 
Hymnal, the last line of which runs: 

"Give peace, O Lord, give peace again." 
The words were hurled forth clearly and 
resonantly with fearful vehemence, yet they 
could scarcely be heard. While the hymn 
was being sung, munition train after muni- 
tion train thundered along the main line 
barely a hundred yards away, bearing its 
fearful freight of missiles for dealing death 
and destruction, while the clatter of steel 
against steel was punctuated by the louder 
booming of heavy guns undergoing their 
proving trials upon the adjacent testing 
ground at Spandau. The iterations of the 
words, no matter how religiously and sin- 
cerely, to such an accompaniment, appeared 
to be mocking the Almighty. 

Presently there came a lull in the rushing 

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of trains and the booming of cannon, but 
the uncanny silence was broken by a more 
ominous sound so far as the prisoners were 
concerned. It was the tramp! tramp! 
tramp ! of feet, at first muffled and indistinct 
but growing louder each second. Our fellow- 
prisoners who had not attended the church 
service, were on their way to the kitchen 
to get their breakfast. Those shuffling feet 
brought us back to things material with 
a disconcerting jolt. It behooved us to 
make haste lest we miss our small share 
of acorn coffee. Half the congrega- 
tion wildly snatched basins and bread 
to stampede after the marching throng. 
The rest proceeded somewhat more leisurely. 
As I vanished through the portal I caught a 
fleeting glimpse of our colleague holding 
forth with his basin on one side and his por- 
tion of bread on the other. He left after his 
congregation had filed out to take up his 
position in the long queue. 

As we received our coffee we heard more 
about the coming midday feast. There was 
to be a chop, sauerkraut, vegetables, sweets, 
and other delights. But above all, we were 

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to regale ourselves with a bottle of beer 
apiece, and to cheer the afternoon with a 
cigar! These two last-named luxuries we 
were to receive as a special favor, with the 
Kaiser's compliments! 

We contained ourselves throughout the 
morning as best we could until the hour of 
11.30 came round. How the hours dragged. 
We mustered punctually to the minute, but 
it was not until 12.45, after a wait of an hour 
and a quarter in the line, that we were 
marched off to the kitchen, which we ap- 
proached babbling and talking as excitedly 
as a gathering of children at a Sunday 
school treat. 

During this walk some commenced to bet 
freely that we were destined to receive an- 
other powerful illustration of how the 
Germans do things. Those who were dis- 
posed to place faith in the Teuton and his 
promises condemned us as a band of 
"Croakers!" "Wet blankets!" "Jeremiads!" 
and "Jonahs !" 

We were not destined to be kept on the 
rack of suspension much longer. Those who 

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were first in the line received a meal fully 
in accordance with the much-lauded story, 
but when Barrack 3 reached the kitchen 
something seemed to have gone amiss. 
Either the first arrivals had been treated 
too liberally, or else the mathematical Teu- 
ton had dropped a few figures from his cal- 
culations. At all events, supplies were pe- 
tering out at an alarmingly rapid rate. I 
only received a bone without any meat — 
an island in a sea of dubious gravy, without 
even a fragment of potato. 

Those who followed fared worse. There 
was nothing in the soup line left for them. 
The Germans hastily remedied the unex- 
pected deficiency by furnishing each man 
with a rasher of raw, repulsive fat bacon. 
But this hasty expedient did not suffice. By 
the time Barrack 6 arrived, even the bacon 
had given out ; there was not a shred of rind 
for them. They received nothing beyond a 
portion of greasy, thin soup. And this was 
the wonderful Christmas dinner about which 
so much had been said! The disappoint- 
ment of the prisoners from Barrack 6 was 
so intense, and the mutterings grew so loud, 

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that even the Germans grew alarmed. 
Nothing could be done, but the officials, 
following the invariable Teuton prac- 
tice when trouble appeared imminent, 
placated the prisoners with honeyed 
words and specious promises of "some- 
thing very nice for tea!" As these 
unfortunate prisoners had been waiting pa- 
tiently for over two hours to be rewarded 
with nought beyond the ordinary daily fare, 
it is not surprising that they audibly ex- 
pressed their opinion of German system and 
organization. They retraced their footsteps 
to the barracks with their faith in German 
promises sadly shattered, and cherishing 
decided doubts as to the evening meal. 

Upon receiving our dinner we were told 
to hurry to the grandstand to receive the 
Kaiser's presents — the bottle of beer and 
the cigar. I think the authorities must have 
deliberately plotted this additional luxury 
as a reward to the fleetest of foot. I sprinted 
for all I knew how, and succeeded in getting 
both the bottle of beer and the cigar. The 
majority were forced to be content with one 
or the other, and counted themselves as 

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mighty lucky to get even one-half of the 
promised gift. 

Reaching our barracks, we made the most 
of our meal, supplementing official short- 
comings with what our small parcels from 
home, a few of which had come to hand, 
would yield. The latter were shared in the 
usual manner, but there was insufficient to 
go round. Our discontent was not assuaged 
by the discovery of one circumstance. The 
pro-Germans appeared to have fared best as 
regards the dinner, beer, and cigars. 

We whiled away the afternoon with the 
cigars so magnanimously presented to us 
by the All Highest. The Kaiser must have 
learned something about the condition of 
our living quarters, and, being generally 
credited with an inventive turn of mind, 
evolved a type of disinfecting smoke to be 
submitted to exacting test at our expense. 
The weed was universally declared to be 
"some cigar," but the less grateful and more 
critical unceremoniously dubbed them 
"stinkers.'' These doubtful Havanas were 
discarded with freedom, for only the physi- 
cally fit could stand up under them. 

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When the hour for the evening meal 
came round Barrack 6 scampered off for the 
delectable dainty which it was due to re- 
ceive. For the most part this luxury as- 
sumed the fortn of a herring, but the un- 
grateful recipients made one fatal mistake. 
They would persist in testing a Teuton gift 
herring with the olfactory nerve! The re- 
sult was disastrous. 

It was a miserable evening, absolutely de- 
ficient in cheeriness and comfort. Mark 
Tapley would have been frozen into silence 
had he made any effort to improve the 
dragging hour with witticism or banter. 
Our pro-German enemies alone proved ca- 
pable of passing the time, and incidentally 
they provided us with the solitary form of 
amusement which came our way. They 
brought an array of tables from the grand- 
stand, and with the utmost sang froid im- 
aginable set them out in a continuous coun- 
ter along the narrow solitary gangway bi- 
secting the loft. By so doing they drove 
every other prisoner to his bunk, but this 
was immaterial to them. Out came the col- 
ored candles and other decorations. Within 

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a few moments the whole loft was ablaze 
with light. Seating themselves on either 
side of this improvised table, each man 
stood his Christmas tree before him, and 
with the other delights contained in his 
parcel set out to have a high old time. 

The feelings of us crouching and shivering 
in our bunks must be left to the imagination. 
At first we struggled hard to ignore them, 
but their raucous laughter, coarse jokes, 
and unabashed expressions of sympathy 
with the German cause, began to fan the 
flames, and when they burst out into exu- 
berant song, and let fly the words of 
^'Deutschland uber Alles'' with all the vigor 
they could command, the more ndgetty 
among us got up and commenced to express 
displeasure in unmistakable manner. As 
the alley way was blocked by the tables, 
movement was difficult, but we settled this 
by roughly pushing away any table which 
barred our path. 

The scowlings and mutterings grew 
fiercer. One prisoner, a rabid patriot, at 
last declared it was more than he could 
stand. He was somewhat too rough in pass- 

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ing a table to please the pro-Germans sitting 
around it. They expostulated savagely, and 
he retorted just as energetically. Voices 
commenced to rise in anger and protest. 
Thereupon the Britisher, discarding his coat 
and rolling up his shirt sleeves, declared 
his intention to mop up the floor with the 
"whole blarmed lot of them." 

The appearance of armed force restored 
order. The British loyalists were peremp- 
torily ordered to bed — and so were the "P.- 
G.'s" They protested, declaring they were 
doing no harm, but the guards were taking 
no risks. ''Better prevent a fight than be 
called upon to quell one," was their rule, so 
our enemies were forced to surrender. 
Candles were speedily extinguished, and to- 
gether with the other clutter were ordered 
to be put out of sight. Unfortunately, we 
had cause to regret having taken such 
drastic measures, for we were condemned 
to suffer a repetition of the nightly decora- 
tions and celebrations for nearly a week, 
during which the Christmas festivities were 
prolonged, the orgies only coming to an end 
when the candles had been consumed. 

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Boxing Day threatened to be every whit 
as depressing, but one or two of us, having 
shaken off the dejection into which we had 
been plunged by a cheerless Christmas, en- 
deavored to infuse a little of the fun and 
excitement of a seasonable British winter 
Bank Holiday into our existence. We had 
a merry snowball fight, to which I have re- 
ferred elsewhere, which, however, was sum- 
marily interrupted by the guard. Still, for 
a very brief period we enjoyed ourselves 
wholeheartedly and forgot our miserable 
surroundings. 

The solitude, darkness, stench, vermin, 
and cold of the barracks brought us back to 
our dismal, aimless life at Ruhleben with 
added emphasis, and we passed the enforced 
idleness of Boxing Night, heads in hands, 
ruminating and wondering how it all would 
end ! I have spent many a Christmas under 
strange conditions, but the memory of one 
is indelibly seared into my brain. The recol- 
lections of the first Christmas spent in the 
internment camp of Ruhleben in 1914 will 
never be forgotten: they will remain with 
me until the end. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

WHEN THE PINCH WAS FELT 

I have already described the meager fare 
with which we were supposed to keep body 
and soul together at Ruhleben. Sugarless 
and milkless coffee made from acorns, a 
small basin of thin, unappetizing soup, and 
one-fifth of a loaf of black bread per day 
constitute short commons for a healthy man. 
It was more the indomitable spirit of the 
Britisher than the food that kept us going. 
Physically we suffered severely, and our 
weights sank to alarmingly low levels. 

We grumbled a great deal during the 
early days, when food was comparatively 
plentiful in Germany, but later, complaints 
gave way to tense apprehension. Shorter 
commons did not affect those flush of funds 
so much as poorer members of the commu- 
nity. The canteen was an excellent stand- 
by, for there we could buy various articles 

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in the commissary line, so long as we were 
prepared to pay for them. Thus, very good 
brodchens could be purchased at two a 
penny, and, needless to say, were in great 

demand. 

The outlook first began to assume a sinis- 
ter aspect when the bread ration was dimin- 
ished. The shrinkage was so marked that we 
felt before long we should be compelled to 
go without. As time passed, even the can- 
teen and pocket-money ceased to be a sub- 
stitute because the brodchens disappeared. 
They could not be obtained for love or 
money. Subsequently a substitute for these 
appreciated brodchens became available, a 
composite or "necessity'^ bread, that was 
tolerably palatable, although it was more 
expensive. 

The shortage of bread naturally hit us 
severely. There ensued a general tightening 
of the waistbelt, while faces, already 
pinched, became more pinched. Everyone 
began to suffer terribly, but we bore the 
situation with the stoicism of Indians. Pri- 
vation became more widespread and intense 

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as the weeks passed without bringing any 
change in the state of affairs. 

But alas! There was only one court to 
which we could make appeal. This was the 
American Embassy. When first suggested, 
this proposal failed to meet with general 
acclamation; we were rather disposed to 
trust to luck and to work out our own sal- 
vation. Finally hunger got the upper hand 
and we petitioned the United States' Ambas- 
sador to intercede on our behalf. The first 
letters failed to draw a reply, doubtless 
owing to the fact that they were intercepted 
by the authorities or because they infringed 
the regulation that all letters addressed to 
persons outside had to be posted open, so 
that the camp authorities might acquaint 
themselves with the contents. This law 
was so rigid as to apply to communications 
sent to the Embassy which had assumed 
the responsibility so far as it lay within its 
powers, for our well-being. We hoped that 
such letters would be safe from official cen- 
sorship, and that the authorities would leave 
action to the discretion of the Embassy, 
which naturally would not exceed its limit. 

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But the Germans are ignorant of the mean- 
ing of the word ''honor," preferring to judge 
other people by their own standard and in- 
terpretation of terms. While we have no 
absolute evidence that the German authori- 
ties deliberately destroyed, or mislaid any 
communications addressed to Mr. Gerard 
from prisoners in Ruhleben Camp, there is 
sufficient circumstantial evidence available 
to prove that our misgivings upon this 
question were not ill-founded. 

When, finally, a representative visited the 
camp we drew attention to our direful plight 
with a daring appeal. We wrote in the dust 
upon the Ambassador's motor-car 'Tor 
God's sake give us bread!" and threw into 
his vehicle letters emphasizing the condi- 
tions. This appeal did not go unanswered. 
Mr. Gerard, with the promptitude which 
signaled all his efforts on behalf of the 
British civilians, when conditions were not 
exaggerated or imaginary, petitioned for an 
increased supply and three days after his 
visit the ration reverted to the normal, but, 
as was always the case, after the sensation 
had lost its nine days' interest, it was gradu- 

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ally but persistently, again reduced until it 
regained the level which had compelled us 
to petition the assistance of our solitary 
guardian angel. 

Indeed, I really think we suffered from 
having so boldly sought the aid of the Amer- 
ican Ambassador, for the last stage of the 
bread question was far worse than the first. 
We were served with bread which was ab- 
solutely uneatable: even men torn with 
hunger hesitated to tackle it. The interior 
was as saturated with water as a sponge, 
was quite uncooked, and was nauseating 
both to the palate and the eye. We could 
wring the water out of it. It had to be eaten 
right away: to keep it for even a few hours 
was to see it grow moldy, musty, and even 
decompose. Some of us endeavored to keep 
it for a short time, in the hope that it would 
become solid as the water evaporated, and 
become more palatable and satisfying, but 
this was a mistaken policy. Others who 
ate it at once suffered severely from indi- 
gestion. 

The discontent grew more serious. We 
pestered the authorities with requests to 

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improve the bread, but for a long time to 
no avail. At last they gave us permission 
to change a ''new" loaf for a "stale" one, 
but we speedily refused this alternative, for 
the so-called stale bread was not only stale 
and hard, but in addition, revoltingly green 
right through with mold. 

Matters at last reached such a state as 
to provoke general discussion as to whether 
we ought not to make an appeal to friends 
and relatives at home for assistance. This 
had been advocated once or twice previ- 
ously, but general opinion had been against 
it. By March, 1915, the situation had be- 
come so acute as to force us to resort to 
action of this character, though it was much 
against our will, for we felt that those at 
home must certainly have their hands full, 
and that it was scarcely fair for us to saddle 
them with the expense of sustaining their 
imprisoned compatriots in a German camp. 

But necessity knows no law, and so out 
went postcards bearing a frantic appeal for 
bread to be sent us from Britain. It was 
this cry that must have aroused the home- 
land to the true conditions in Germany, 

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especially in the prison camps. Although 
we dispatched the urgent "S O S" far and 
wide, we realized that weeks must elapse 
before we received tangible response. Those 
intervening weeks were dark, indeed. We 
were reduced to a condition bordering on 
starvation; how the less fit among us kept 
going, we never knew. It seems a night- 
mare now. Everyone went hungry, and so 
hungry that they were ready to do anything 
to get any sort of food. 

Our despairing cry met with a wonderful 
response. I shall never forget the scene in 
camp upon the arrival of the first shipment 
of wholesome nourishing bread from old 
England. We rubbed our eyes at the sight, 
fearing that it was only a dream, afraid to 
bite into the loaves, which by the way, were 
as hard as bricks after their long journey. 
When we did taste it, how we smacked our 
lips over the flavor and lingered over the 
fragments. Not a piece was wasted; we 
would have fought with the birds for the 
capture of a few crumbs. 

In order to appreciate the measure of our 
delight at tasting British bread once more, 

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it is necessary to gain some idea of the staff 
of life which was being served out to us by 
our captors. The proportion of wheat con- 
stituent must have been reduced to absolute 
vanishing point. The exterior was crusty 
and as hard as a dog's biscuit; indeed, I do 
not think a lover of canines would ever have 
given his four-footed companion such food. 
But though the exterior was hard and had 
to be gnawed, the interior was a soddened 
mass, reeking with moisture and only par- 
tially cooked. 

It was not so much the repulsive appear- 
ance and feel of the interior of the loaf, 
which aroused such nausea, as the ingredi- 
ents employed. To break open a loaf was 
akin to taking a dip in a lucky-tub: some- 
thing unexpected was certain to be found. 
Sometimes it was a wisp of straw three or 
four inches long — half-inch lengths were so 
common as not to arouse a moment's second 
thought — at others a hunk of potato peel or 
a fragment of tree bark. They were loaves 
of mystery in the fullest meaning of the 
word, and we hesitated to inquire too deeply 
into the character of the ingredients, lest 

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we receive a surprise that would compel 
us to renounce the food in disgust. 

I collected the pieces of foreign matter 
discovered in the bread, prosecuting this 
hobby as diligently as any scientist pursues 
his quest. I kept them all, and my personal 
endeavors were supported by several com- 
rades, who contributed their discoveries. In 
this manner I secured quite an imposing 
survey of the odds and ends, possessing ab- 
solutely no nutriment value whatever, which 
were associated with the German-provided 
staff of life. 

Matters descended to such a pass that we 
decided to make representations to some 
powerful quarter in the desperate effort to 
secure an improvement in regard to the 
bread question. With every succeeding day 
the men were growing visibly weaker. 
Those who indulged in any exercise, such 
as a few minutes at football, had to abandon 
their recreation, merely because they were 
not strong enough to pursue it ! We had to 
husband our strength and vitality in grim 
earnest. More than one man resolutely 
clung to his bunk for fear that undue move- 

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ment or exertion would deprive his en- 
feebled body of the meager reserve of 
strength and vitality v^hich it retained, or 
accentuate the pangs of hunger. 

One may v^onder why we evinced such an 
intimate interest in the German internal 
food question, but it struck at the very root 
of our existence. If the Germans had in- 
sufficient foodstuffs to keep themselves how 
were we likely to fare? We should cer- 
tainly be- placed on the shortest possible 
commons, and if the worst came, we were 
likely to be left to shift for ourselves. We 
knew enough of the Germans to realize that 
they would not hesitate to deprive us of 
food entirely if matters reached a crisis. 
This was the haunting fear. We could see 
the day when they would turn round and 
leave us to our own devices. Every succes- 
sive week witnessed a diminution in our ra- 
tions. What could be cut down was cut 
down remorselessly. The journey to the 
kitchen began to assume a farcical aspect. 
Those who were receiving supplies regu- 
larly from home refused to make this trip 
for food. It was regarded as so much 

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wasted time and useless expenditure of 
effort, because the food we were receiving 
was steadily declining in quality and verg- 
ing perilously near the line of being abso- 
lutely inedible. Great effort was required 
to eat it, and an indifferently nourished body 
revolted savagely at the indignities to which 
it was being subjected. 

We came to rely more and more on the 
parcels from home, and we felt extremely 
grateful to relatives, friends and stran- 
gers who kept us steadily going. But for 
this timely help we should have starved. 
When we opened the parcels the soldiers 
would stand around longingly and, their ad- 
miration getting the better of their discre- 
tion, they would mutter, ''Mein GottI What 
food in war-time!" 

We ourselves could not help pitying the 
guards, whom, we discovered, were placed 
on the most meager rations. When we heard 
their comments we would offer them some 
dainty. At first they would merely give a 
sickly smile and shake their heads half- 
heartedly. We could see that they longed 
to accept our hospitality but feared to be 

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seen doing so. However, as hunger pressed 
them, they accepted what we offered, and 
eventually did not hesitate to beg for what 
we could spare. As a rule we contrived to 
save something out for them, for which they 
extended the most heartfelt thanks. It was 
to our advantage to keep on the soft side 
of our wardens, and the expenditure of food 
in this connection proved a profitable in- 
vestment in more ways than one. It amused 
us — although the tragedy of it all was not 
lost upon us — to follow the competition be- 
tween the under-officers and their men to 
be first in the surreptitious overhauling of 
the refuse bread bins, since such action con- 
stituted a breach of regulations. What we 
declined to eat was for the pigs, not the 
arrogant military of Germany, although the 
latter were only too pleased to get what 
they could at the expense of the occupants 
of the sties. 

Neutrals visiting the camp, when ques- 
tioned, would sometimes lift the veil from 
the state of affairs existing outside, although 
they were very guarded in their replies. 
Nevertheless, their fragments of informa- 

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tion were sufficient to convince us that the 
German people as a whole were passing 
through hard times. 

But the most conclusive information was 
brought in by a fellow prisoner, and his ex- 
perience seemed to me somewhat humorous. 
He had commercial connections in the 
country, being a Britisher resident in Ger- 
many, although in this instance he was as 
loyal as the most rabid of the loyalists. He 
had been petitioning for some time to be 
permitted to go to Berlin to complete some 
vital business matter, and his importunity 
had finally been rewarded to the extent of 
a day's leave on "pass." This entitled him 
to quit the camp at 7.30 A. M. and to be ex- 
cused until 8.30 P. M. of the same day. He 
thought that leave of thirteen hours in one 
day would be adequate for him to complete 
the matter on his mind, and he had left the 
camp in the early morning punctually at the 
permitted hour, extremely thankful to be 
able to leave Ruhleben behind him if only for 
one brief day. 

I was hurrying from my kiosk to my bar- 
rack for the midday meal upon the day in 

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question when I ran full tilt into our col- 
league. It was barely half past one. I 
looked at him in surprise. 

"What are you doing here ? Thought you 
had gone to Berlin on 'pass'?'' I said. 

"So I did," he answered, looking round 
warily, "but I was mighty glad to get back. 
I have never seen such sights in my life. It's 
awful. No wonder our food is so bad. The 
people there are fighting tooth and nail to 
get bread, meat, or anything else to eat. And 
the feeling against the British cannot be im- 
agined. Had they discovered I was an 
Englishman they would have torn me limb 
from limb. I am not a nervous man, but 
the state of aflFairs frightened me. In fact, 
I abandoned all iJea of finishing up my busi- 
ness transaction, and came back by the first 
tram I could catch. 

The man certainly seemed scared. His ex- 
perience had completely unnerved him. He 
was even afraid of his own shadow at the 
moment, but for an entirely diflPerent rea- 
son. As I was about to resume my walk 
he caught me by the sleeve, whispering in 
an alarmed tone : 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

"For Heaven's sake don't say you have 
seen me. I am hiding myself until the even- 
ing. If the authorities know I am back, 
they will realize that I have seen more than 
I ought to have observed in Berlin, and that 
I know a good deal about the state of things 
in the capital. They are bluffing us for all 
they are worth, and if they see me before 
nightfall they will conclude why I came back 
before my ^pass' was up. A prisoner is not 
so deeply in love with Ruhleben as to want 
to get back to it hours before he needs to !" 

I appreciated his logic and readily ex- 
tended the promise. I knew full well that 
if caught he would be punished on suspicion 
of having communicated unpleasant truths 
among the prisoners. He succeeded in keep- 
ing himself unobserved until late that even- 
ing, when he reported himself in due course 
to the authorities. His experience, however, 
furnished the camp with food for animated 
conversation, since he brought face-to-face 
personal experience upon the matter which 
was of absorbing import to one and all. 

We learned that our shortage of bread was 
due to the difficulties which the German na- 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

tion was experiencing, thanks to the strin- 
gency of the British blockade. Berlin was 
deeply incensed against our country, and at 
that time was strafing Great Britain and the 
British with a deadly strafe. At one meet- 
ing, held in Berlin to discuss the desperate 
situation, and at which many notable digni- 
taries of the German Government made 
speeches, one of these, referring to the in- 
ternment camp at Ruhleben and the priva- 
tions of the prisoners, vehemently recom- 
mended that "we should all be starved to 
death !" From the way in which the author- 
ities were going to work it certainly seemed 
as if this delightful suggestion were being 
put into execution. 

During this trying period the poorer mem- 
bers must have succumbed to hunger but 
for the assistance rendered by the Com- 
munal Funds. The profits from the various 
enterprises enabled large purchases of 
edibles, including bread, to be made and sold 
at a comparatively reasonable figure, as I 
have already explained. The price thus be- 
ing brought within reach, they were able 
to keep themselves just going. 

35^ 



RUHLEBEN BRITISH CONCENTRATION CAMP. 

Financial Statement to 10"'- April 1915. 



RECEIPTS: 

a) For Camp Fund ex American Embassy to 

cover distribution of Margarine, Sugar, etc 
ar.d general Camp expenses .... 
For Camp Fund ex Other Sources, viz: 

Donations. O'Hara Murray, Esq , Collec- 
tions in Barracks, Proceeds of Concerts. 
Variety Shows, Canteens, Boilers, Parcel 
Post Department, etc 

b) For Relief in Cash ex King Edw^ard Vll fund 

c) For Relief in Cash (weekly) ex American 

Embassy .... 

EXPENDITURE: 

Relief afforded : 

General Camp Relief, Distribution of Mar- 
garine, Sugar, etc Ca) 

General Camp Relief, through First Aid So- 
ciety 'a) 

Weekly Relief in Cash ex Embassy . (c) 

King Edward VII Fund, Cash distribution (b) 
Amount expended in Organisation and Upkeep 

of Camp, viz: 

Wages paid to interned prisoners (Latrines, 
Kitchens', Fatigue Parties, etc) . . (a) 

Disinfecting and Sanitgry arrangements. Medi- 
cines, Hospital Expenses, Funeral Expen- 
ses, Office Books and Stationery, Grand 
Stand Seating Accomodaiion and Stages, 
making good damage done to Camp pro- 
perty. Repairs to v^indows, Purchase of 
utensils such as Bread Cutting machines. 
Pails. Brooms, Watering Cans, etc Shop 
Fixtures and Shelves Canteen Improve- 
m nts. Alteration to Parcels Post Depart- 
ment Office, Bridging Race Course Track, 
Deposit to Race Course Association for 
permission to use ground for playing pur- 
poses, etc etc. ....... (a) 



Cash in Hand and at Bank n 

Stock in -Trade at Canteens . . . ■■. 

Sundry Debtors 

Items paid in advance. Rent. etc. 

Sundry Creditors for Goods, etc- supplied 

Sundry Creditors for Cash on Deposit 



1 :j,49ri.8:". 
779.58 

<;7,289.r,o 
lO.ir.o.— 



:;,l9r,.2f» 



('.,304.71 



11.891.41 

1 .9;j:{.7.{ 



■21{){)1) _ 



21,458.90 
10,401.— 

09,000 — 



101,304.84 122,859.90 



9,0.32.7.; 
3.85(!.(>7 



1:55.749 :jo i:5.>.T49.:{i» 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

The parcels of food dispatched from home 
only arrived in the nick of time — had they 
been delayed there would be few remaining 
in Ruhleben to-day, for we were virtually 
in extremis. Once the parcels commenced 
to trickle in, and the stream grew more vo- 
luminous with each succeeding week, our 
dread apprehensions vanished. The lucky 
recipients of the first parcels saved the situ- 
ation, for they shared their food as far as 
they were able. It was a curious spectacle 
to see a man without a cent in his pocket 
with which to buy food, but who had a par- 
cel from home, dividing the contents with 
one or two colleagues whose pockets were 
bulging, or at least well-lined, but who could 
not turn it to useful purchasing account at 
the time, and whose parcel had not arrived. 
But it was turn and turn about: we were 
brothers in adversity. 

When we learned that bread was on the 
way to the camp from England we specu- 
lated among ourselves as to whether we 
should really get it. Would the mob, 
pressed by hunger, allow it to reach the 
camp? Would not the harassed German 

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housewives and their men-folk raid the 
vehicles laden therewith? Such were the 
fears which disturbed our minds. But the 
authorities had taken adequate precautions 
to insure the safe delivery of the prisoners' 
parcels and the vans were brought into 
camp under a strong military guard with 
loaded rifles. We appreciated this protec- 
tion upon the part of the authorities. It 
conveyed the impression of being prepared 
to give us a square deal, at least in one con- 
nection, and so far as my experience is con- 
cerned, I never lost a food parcel from home. 
But bread was not the only foodstuff 
which occasioned anxiety. Milk was in 
heavy demand, especially among some of 
the more delicate prisoners who could not 
digest the infamous war-bread. Milk was 
easily procurable at the canteen, and at the 
nominal price of 3j^d. to 4d., until suddenly 
the Berlin press, learning that we were 
getting a first quality article of high stand- 
ard at a low figure, wanted to know why 
British prisoners should be permitted to fare 
better than their own people? It was a 
specious argument, but merely begged the 

354 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

question, as the milk was bought and sold 
by the Communal authorities. However, the 
newspaper agitation bore fruit and fresh 
milk was knocked off the list of permissible 
foodstuffs. Limited quantities were re- 
served for the use of invalids, but in a few 
weeks only skim milk could be obtained, 
which, in turn, gave way to condensed milk. 
At intervals a wail went up in the domestic 
press over some other article of food which 
could be obtained in the camp, with the com- 
ment that it was scarcely playing the game 
to permit mere prisoners to secure what 
was denied the German population. Such 
protests invariably achieved the writers' de- 
sired end — the article under criticism van- 
ished from our list of foodstuffs — but there 
was one feeling of satisfaction. The Ger- 
man public, as a whole, was suffering quite 
as acutely as we were. The camp was over- 
whelmed with stories relating to the food 
riots in Berlin. At first we attributed them 
to rumor, but the stories were so circum- 
stantial as to compel us to believe that there 
must be some truth in them. 

To satisfy our curiosity upon the point wc 

355 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

pestered our guards with questions, but they 
maintained a chilling silence: they knew 
nothing about the incidents to which we re- 
ferred. But when the guard was changed 
we found the newcomers, who had experi- 
enced a turn in the trenches, far more com- 
municative. One or two of the soldiers with 
whom I contrived to get on intimate terms 
admitted that women and children had been 
shot during frenzied food riots in the capital. 
They did not seem to be surprised at such 
action, because they, in the trenches, as they 
candidly admitted, had been unable to obtain 
sufficient food, and had been forced to 
sustain themselves on bread which was quite 
as objectionable as ours. 

At first I thought they were merely ro- 
mancing in order to keep us quiet, but from 
personal observation and investigation I dis- 
covered that they had under-rated, rather 
than exaggerated, the alarming state of 
affairs in Germany. Many of us, unable to 
eat the war-bread, or because we were rely- 
ing upon supplies from home, were disposed 
to be wasteful with the ration. We would 
eat the outer crust and well-cooked portions, 

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discarding the remainder of it as refuse. 

This wastage was observed by the powers- 
that-be, and accordingly an order was cir- 
culated that bread was not to be wasted. 
What was not required, or that which had 
deteriorated from prolonged keeping, was 
to be placed in a special bin attached to each 
barrack for official collection at intervals. 
We were told that it was to be served out 
to the pigs. 

Night after night I observed the soldiers 
ransacking these bins to add to their stinted 
fare, but discreetly turned a blind eye in such 
direction, as it was to our advantage to keep 
on good terms with the guard. After all, 
these soldiers who had been through the 
furnace of shell and explosive on the West- 
ern Front were not bad fellows at heart: 
they were far more friendly and sympa- 
thetic than our former guards, and when 
they first came to the camp there had been 
a lively time between the two. The out- 
going soldiers referred to us as dirty 
schweinhimde of Englishmen who must be 
closely watched, and they proceeded to give 
the newcomers many tips. The men from 

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the front listened patiently and then shook 
their heads sagely as they remarked, "You, 
comrades, have not been to the trenches 
yet. We have, and we knov^ more about the 
Britishers than you do. They are not at 
all bad fellows, and, look you here, they are 
clean fighters !" Such home truths were far 
from being palatable to the off-going guards, 
but the raw fighting man could not argue 
with the veteran, and so departed strafing 
us more ferociously than ever, until experi- 
ence in the trenches perhaps brought about 
a change of opinion. 

But we could not resist meditating upon 
the outcome of it all. When under-officers 
and privates were ready to quarrel like the 
sparrows over bread refuse, what would 
happen when the people at large came to 
the end of the tether of patient waiting? 
Everyone knew we were receiving excellent 
food from home, for the appetizing con- 
tents of the parcels consigned to Ruhleben 
were bruited far and wide. When we were 
unduly depressed we would speculate as to 
whether the emaciated populace, driven by 
hunger, would resort to force, and make a 

35S 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

bold bid to intercept our parcels. This 
thought was ever in our minds, and it is a 
possibility which to-day disturbs the seren- 
ity, such as it is, of Ruhleben Camp more 
than anything else. The day mob law se- 
cures the upper hand in the Germanic Em- 
pire, and the consignment of the parcels for 
prisoners at Ruhleben becomes imperilled, 
travail will come to the camp. Without 
supplies from England the civilians interned 
upon the banks of the Spree must certainly 
perish. 

To those who are sleeping soundly at 
home this statement may not seem con- 
vincing, but it is one which will be endorsed 
by every man who has suffered in Ruhleben. 
It was a frequent topic of conversation, and 
though we used to laugh as we sat round 
our table enjoying the array of delicacies 
contained in the latest package from home, 
and would jocularly venture "Wonder 
what'll happen if the beggars ever take it 
into their heads to raid our parcels?" We 
did not turn a blind eye to such a possi- 
bility. 



S3P 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

FREEDOM AT LAST 

Our ranks were thinned from time to time 
by the sending home of certain prisoners, 
but only a few at a time went at first, and 
those at rare intervals. For the most part, 
those set free were suffering from physical 
degeneration as a result of their privations, 
or, what was more frequently the case, 
showing signs of mental breakdown from 
the same cause. The first were hurried 
away because the authorities were anxious 
to keep down the mortality rate at Ruhle- 
ben; the second, because the domestic asy- 
lums were already overcrowded by Germans 
whose minds had given way. 

This selection of prisoners for return to 
Britain only served to bring home to those 
remaining behind the utter hopelessness of 
their position. It seemed as if the Ger- 
man threat that we were to be kept and 

j<5o 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

herded like cattle until the war was over 
was to be fulfilled. From whatever view- 
point the future was regarded the prospect 
was black. We could not dispel the feeling 
that the war might last for years, and that 
as the Germans became more and more hard 
pressed, our conditions would grow worse. 
The alternative of losing our minds before 
securing freedom was equally depressing: 

The effect upon the more morbid of the 
prisoners was disastrous. They either could 
not or would not shake off their feeling of 
despair; and from prolonged brooding over 
their situation, they grew weak both in body 
and mind, could not sleep and forget their 
troubles for a little while, and lost what ap- 
petite they might have had for Ruhleben 
fare. 

Although the authorities at Ruhleben re- 
frained from torturing the bodies of their 
captives, they did not hesitate to stretch 
their minds upon the rack of suspense, buoy- 
ing up the hopes we raised, to thrust us back 
again into the depths of despair. 

The capabilities of the Germans in this 
respect were brought home to the Ruhle- 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

ben prisoners most acutely upon the occa- 
sion of the first notable exchange of prison- 
ers, which took place in November, 1915. Ru- 
mors to the effect that some big movement 
of this sort was under way had been flying 
through the camp for some time, and we 
noticed that the authorities, contrary to the 
established practice, did not contradict the 
statement. 

The anticipation with which we looked 
forward to some definite official step to- 
wards the realization of our dream of re- 
lease may be imagined. The all-is-lost 
brigade became quite chirpy, and went about 
with smiles on their faces. When at last 
a parade was called and numerous ques- 
tions were asked bearing upon the subject 
all had at heart, excitement grew intense. 
The camp buzzed like a beehive awakening 
from its period of hibernation with the first 
burst of spring sunshine. Speculation as to 
how many would be chosen, in case we were 
not all released, rose to fever-heat. But as 
the days passed without result faces once 
more began to droop and spirits to flag 
zerowards. 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

Then came a revival of excitement. The 
authorities called out a list of names during 
a parade, and announced that these prison- 
ers were to have their photographs taken. 
Single portraits were ordered and we were 
informed that arrangements had been made 
for a photographer to visit the camp. We 
were to pay for our own photographs. There 
was a mad rush by the lucky ones to the 
corner of the camp where the man with the 
camera had pitched his studio, consisting of 
a bench capable of receiving three sitters at 
a time. I think no photographer has ever 
been surrounded by such a bevy of excited 
clients. Certainly he drove a brisk trade. 
The order called for two copies of each por- 
trait, one, as we learned subsequently, to 
affix to the passport and the other for filing 
in the records. 

Of course, the fact that photographs had 
been ordered was regarded by everyone as 
a step nearer home. To some of the for- 
tunate prisoners the homeland appeared to 
be just over the fence. The frenzy which 
prevailed was indescribable. But that pho- 
tographing preliminary proved a terrible 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

snare. It was not the stepping-stone to 
freedom, as the majority declared. There 
are many prisoners in Ruhleben to-day 
whose portraits were taken as far back as 
November, 1915, and to them home is still as 
remote as ever. 

One despicably cruel episode in connection 
with this deserves to be related, if merely 
because it indicates the lengths of mental 
torture to which German system will pro- 
ceed. The photographer had completed his 
work for the day. Suddenly a few more 
prisoners' names were given out. Radiant 
with pleasure at the unexpected turn of 
events in their favor these men presented 
themselves to the photographer, their por- 
traits were taken and they received the 
stipulated two prints, for which they paid 
the usual eighteenpence. But those prison- 
ers were destined to observe party after 
party of prisoners depart homewards with- 
out being included among their number. 
The reason we discovered afterwards. Ap- 
parently the photographer had driven a bar- 
gain with the authorities. He had contracted 
to take so many portraits per day, to make 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

the visit to the camp worth his while. Upon 
this occasion the number fell short, so the 
deficiency was made up by selecting prison- 
ers to the number required, merely to have 
their photographs taken, and thus enable 
the man with the camera to draw the sum 
for which he had contracted. It was pure 
robbery as well as cruelty, but it fulfilled 
the much-vaunted German system. 

Reverting to the first photographic pre- 
liminary, a few days elapsed and the reports 
were circulated that at six o'clock the follow- 
ing morning a list of the names of those 
prisoners who were to be exchanged would 
be posted on the camp notice-board. As may 
be readily imagined, there was little sleep 
among the prisoners that night. The san- 
guine passed the dragging hours packing 
their belongings, while others were too 
keyed up to speak, or nursed terrible fears 
that, after all, they might not be numbered 
among the lucky ones. 

The night dragged wearily and far too 
slowly. In the early hours of that chilly 
morning, when the buildings stood out more 
drab and somber than ever against the 

5^5 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

murky eastern sky, the prisoners made their 
way to the notice-board. That space, 
although blank as yet, was an irresistible 
magnet. It possessed an element of 
cheerfulness and budding hope which 
the barracks could never give. They 
whistled, hummed, chatted excitedly, 
stamped their feet and clapped their hands 
across their chests to keep themselves 
warm and their spirits at boiling point. 
By five o'clock the board was surrounded 
by a clamoring ocean, hundreds having 
turned their feet in its direction in the half- 
hope that, at the last minute, some miracle 
had occurred to bring their name upon the 
fateful list. 

When at last the papers were posted up, 
a wild scramble ensued. Men at the rear 
clambered upon the backs of those in front, 
in the effort to catch sight of the magic 
letters forming their name. Those in the 
front row, spotting the name of a colleague, 
yelled it out lustily, and gave a wild cheer 
of delight. Caps were thrown into the air, 
strange capers were cut by those giving vent 
to their pent-up frenzy. "Old boys" of sixty 

366 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

years of age cavorted like lambs. Con- 
gratulations were showered on one and all. 
Many of the more wearied and ill were so 
overcome at the realization of their fondest 
hopes that they could only express their 
pleasure in tears. 

That morning revealed one of the strong- 
est traits of the British charactier — its cheer- 
ful stoicism. The German soldiers were 
nonplussed. They could not understand how 
prisoners who had been turned down, could 
whoop and cheer as frantically and gaily at 
the luck of a colleague, as if they themselves 
were bound for home. 

But there was another side to the picture 
— one which was tragic and pathetic. Some 
of those who had been confident of release 
went almost crazy with disappointment and 
rage when they discovered their names to 
be missing from the list. They scanned it 
time after time in a kind of stupor, fearing 
that in their first hasty perusal they had 
made a mistake. Then, the awful truth 
dawning upon them that they were to re- 
main in the camp indefinitely, re-action set 
in. Some fell to the ground in utter de- 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

jection. Others crawled away silently to a 
quiet corner to nurse their bitter defeat. 
Still more crept back to their barracks, 
sullen, taciturn, and almost demented, with 
an uncanny, furtive glint in their eyes. 
Though that fateful board brought the 
greatest happiness in life to many, to others 
it was nought but the indication of a blank, 
black future. 

The lucky were instantly besieged by 
their fellow-prisoners. Those who were to 
remain behind, seeing the opportunity to 
establish a link with home, threw discretion 
to the winds. Grabbing any fragments of 
paper which happened to be handy, they 
hastily scribbled unfettered, open-hearted 
letters to their loved ones across the North 
Sea, and hurled them at those who were 
going, with the request to see that they were 
duly delivered. Letters rained through the 
air as thickly as snowflakes in the northern 
wind. Some were picked up and thrust into 
pockets by the excited men who were about 
to leave us. But some of the men, remem- 
bering the ordinance that no communica- 
tions of any description were to be carried 

368 



INTERNED IN GERMANY^ 

away by returning prisoners, committed the 
contents to memory. 

The regulation concerning the conveyance 
of letters was exceedingly drastic. The 
order set forth that no papers of any de- 
scription were to be taken out of the camp. 
Newspapers, even those of German origin, 
were included in the ban. A preliminary 
search was to be made in the camp before 
departure, and the final and most inquisi- 
tive investigation was to be conducted at 
the frontier. Every prisoner was warned 
that if any paper were discovered at the 
latter point, then the carrier thereof would 
be immediately taken back to the camp, and 
would have to stay there until the war was 
over, no matter what happened. 

But even that list upon the notice-board 
came to be regarded with fear. It had not 
been up very long before an official ap- 
peared, and, running down the list, erased 
certain names. At this action there was a 
fearful uproar. Had the list merely been 
posted to tease and harry us? Was this an- 
other manifestation of Teuton cruelty in a 
refined form? It certainly looked like it. 

3(^9 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

And no further names were substituted for 
those withdrawn ! At frequent intervals the 
official re-appeared, and further revisions 
were made. Truly the list was becoming as 
fearful a trap as the procedure of being 
photographed. As the hours passed, the 
fretting prisoners became more and more 
intractable. The men who had concluded 
that they were certain to reach home before 
Christmas, shuffled about the camp, their 
limbs twitching from nervous tension, afraid 
to peruse the board, yet hanging around it 
with a strange interest, and scarcely daring 
to speak. 

No relief to the torturing anxiety came 
until after "lights out" the following day, 
when the captain of each barrack, in accord- 
ance with instructions, presented himself to 
the men within his particular building. The 
prisoners had sought the solace of their 
couches. He stood in the gangway of the 
ground-floor, his face unusually grave and 
set. Then in slow, loud tones, so that all 
might hear, he cried: 

"All those who have been photographed 
with a view to exchange, and whose names 

370 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

have not been struck off the list, must ap- 
pear at the Captain's office — the bureau of 
the Commanding Officer of the Camp — to- 
morrow at 2.30, to have their passports 
signed by a representative from the Ameri- 
can Embassy. Although I am sorry for 
those w^hose names have been struck off, it 
is absolutely useless for them to keep wor- 
rying the Captains, as we have no knowledge 
whatever as to the reason for such action. 
The order came direct from the military 
authorities in Berlin, and for all I know 
they may be restored to the list to-morrow 
morning." 

The announcement was received with 
mixed feelings. Those whose names had 
weathered the fickleness of the authorities 
were jubilant in a restrained manner, and 
they had a kindly thought for those who 
were suffering such bitter disappointment. 
Turning to these comrades, they remarked, 
with evident feeling and forced gaiety, 
"Cheer up, boys, your turn will come next 
month." 

Preparation of the passports was a pro- 
tracted and searching ordeal. The authori- 

371 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

ties were determined that no substitution 
should occur, through a prisoner, overcome 
by sympathy for a comrade, sacrificing his 
chance to return home. The following days 
saw further racking suspense, for never a 
word was vouchsafed as to when the actual 
departure for home would take place. The 
uncertainty was agonizing, because by this 
time, from what had previously occurred, 
every lucky prisoner realized that he could 
not count himself out of the German clutches 
until he had actually crossed the frontier 
and v/as off the hated soil of the country. 
There was the constant risk of the slip be- 
tween the cup and the lip. 

Again the captain of each barrack pre- 
sented himself to enunciate an official com- 
mand. On this occasion he was very brief. 
He merely stated : 

"All those who have had their passports 
signed must present themselves at the 
guardhouse to-morrow morning at ten 
o'clock, with whatever luggage they wish 
to take home." 

That was all. But it brought distinct re- 

372 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

lief to many a harassed mind. That night 
was one of remarkable activity. The lucky 
prisoners busied themselves packing their 
treasures and belongings, indulged in part- 
ing chats v^ith the men who had been their 
comrades for sixteen weary months, partook 
of farewell feasts arranged in their honor, 
and went round to other buildings to shake 
hands with their friends. Never was the 
dawn of day awaited more anxiously than 
by these men who were so soon to be free. 
They were far too excited to sleep, and 
those who were to be left behind were every 
whit as anxious to witness their departure. 
At the back of our heads we feared that 
something would happen, which, according 
to Teuton logic, would be sufficient to make 
them change their decision, even at the very 
last minute. This was the first big exchange 
of prisoners. If it failed, or a hitch occurred, 
then we might look forward to long exile 
in Ruhleben. On the other hand, if the 
bargain were conducted honestly by the 
German Government, there was hope for 
all, since we had already ascertained that 
such exchanges were to be conducted at 

373 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

monthly intervals. Alas! Hope springs 
eternal, but I think it has disappeared from 
the hearts of many of the weary prisoners 
who even today still remain in Ruhleben. 
As may be imagined there were no lag- 
gards at the guardhouse the next morning. 
Long before ten o'clock, the appointed hour, 
those who were to be released were at the 
rendezvous. I shall never forget the proces- 
sion, and the assembly lined up for the final 
procedure before leaving the detested camp. 
It was a motley crowd and a sickening spec- 
tacle. I do not think there were half a dozen 
fit men among them. The sifting process 
had been conducted by the German authori- 
ties only too well. They did not intend to 
free a man, who, upon his return home would 
be of help in prosecuting the war. Some 
were so debilitated and ill that they could 
scarcely walk; one or two were carried; 
others were so weak, famished, and in a 
condition of semi-collapse, as to be quite 
unable to carry their baggage. There were 
many willing hands to help them. The re- 
maining prisoners generously shouldered 
the luggage, and extended stronger arms to 

374 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

support the weak. A fair sprinkling were 
demented. 

The weather was execrable. A keen wind 
was driving across the camp, and it carried 
the penetrating sting of winter. The pris- 
oners upon reaching the guardhouse were 
ordered to set their traps upon the ground 
in front of them, and to release all straps 
and fastenings, to enable the examination 
to be conducted with as little trouble to the 
authorities as possible. Then they were 
ordered to "stand by." The halt and 
maimed, presenting pictures of utter misery, 
despite the twisted smiles which lighted 
their wan faces, shivered as the freezing 
wind broke against them, and rubbed their 
tired weak limbs to keep life in them. It 
was merely the joy of getting away from 
the accursed spot, the anticipation of being 
in their own homes within the immediate 
future, and the fact that they would soon 
have the company and care of their loved 
ones to nurse them back to health which kept 
them up. Had anything happened at this 
last minute to delay their freedom I believe 
that many men would have dropped where 
they stood. 

275 



INTERNED IN GERMANY^ 

The authorities did not make the slightest 
attempt to hasten the formalities, but at 
last the officials came trundling out, and the 
search commenced. 

The baggage was put through its paces. 
This operation was conducted with German 
thoroughness. Some of the bags were about 
as decrepit as their owners, wear and tear 
had played sad havoc with handbags, grips, 
and portmanteaux. Many were in frag- 
ments, and odd corners of the leather ex- 
terior were missing, but liberal recourse to 
string enabled strapping difficulties to be 
overcome, and many layers of newspaper 
covering the jagged holes formed a passable 
covering for the contents. 

This newspaper armoring was regarded 
as an infringement of the regulations and 
was ruthlessly torn out, to be collected for 
destruction. Not a scrap of paper was per- 
mitted to remain. Even the letters which 
prisoners had received from their families, 
relatives and friends, and which they cher- 
ished affectionately, were confiscated. Many 
of the prisoners had received photographs 
of their wives, sweethearts, and children, 

37^ 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

from home. By dint of great patience they 
had made wooden frames for these pictures, 
and therewith had graced the walls of their 
prison. Even these were not spared. The 
officials tore the photographs out and threw 
them to the ground. The prisoners were 
free to take home the empty frames! The 
ransacking of the baggage, and the heart- 
less confiscation of such jealously guarded 
treasures were harrowing, and the tears 
coursed down the cheeks of the older and 
more enfeebled. 

Each article within a bag was taken out, 
shaken, and closely examined. As the 
articles passed scrutiny they were flung to 
the ground. When the ordeal was com- 
pleted the prisoner was compelled to repack 
his bag. By the time the search was fin- 
ished, every bag was appreciably lighter, 
and those which had suffered from the rav- 
ages of war and internment were sorry 
articles indeed. The contents protruded 
pathetically through the jagged holes, cracks 
and crevices. It was merely the string 
which kept the goods intact. 

The search revealed to us the critical 

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INTERNED IN GERMANY 

straits to which the German nation had been 
reduced by the British blockade. Owing to 
the cold the prisoners had purchased at the 
camp canteen, woolen underclothing, rugs, 
and other articles of attire. Everything was 
unceremoniously removed from the bags, 
and the order was announced that no woolen 
goods of any description were to be allowed 
to leave the camp. Some of the prisoners 
had also purchased new boots when they 
discovered that their release was definitely 
concluded, and had packed these in their 
bags, preferring to travel in the old foot- 
wear until the country had been left behind. 
But new leather boots came under a similar 
ban, and were to be left behind. The for- 
bidden articles were not actually confiscated. 
They were not to be taken out of the camp. 
They could be taken back to barracks, where 
their owners were free to sell or to give 
them to their colleagues. One or two of the 
more resourceful prisoners dodged the order 
concerning new footwear very neatly. 
When the boots were removed from their 
bags they promptly sat on the ground and 
changed them, leaving the discarded articles 

37^ 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

for anyone who might like to appropriate 
them. The officials were somewhat amazed 
at this solution of the problem, but they 
could do nothing to prevent the action, since 
the boots were the prisoners* private prop- 
erty while he was in the camp. Exchange 
is no robbery, says the proverb, and in this 
instance I think the Britishers got the best 
of the bargain. 

Jewelry was also prohibited at a later date. 
I had purchased a solid silver bag for my 
wife. It was purchased with hard-earned 
money, and I valued it highly, more espe- 
cially as, during my leisure, I had freely en- 
graved it, this handiwork including, among 
other devices, the inscription of the names 
of the four prisons in which I had been in- 
carcerated — Wesel, Sennelager, Klingelputz 
and Ruhleben — together with the respective 
dates. I was not allowed to take this away 
from Ruhleben. 

The examination completed, and the bags 
repacked and sealed, the prisoners were 
dismissed with the curt intimation that they 
were to parade the following morning at 
five o^clock at the casino. The prisoners 

279 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

were not permitted to carry their baggage 
back to the barracks. This was placed 
under guard, and taken to the railway sta- 
tion by a special van. As may be supposed 
this final examination was followed keenly 
by the other prisoners. They were alert to 
gain points. No one knew but that his turn 
might come the following month, so it was 
just as well to learn as much concerning the 
necessary formalities as possible, and to 
make complete arrangements to satisfy the 
authorities. 

The following morning the camp turned 
out en masse to speed the parting men. The 
lucky prisoners were lined up and searched, 

the prisoners who were to be left behind be- 
ing carefully roped off to prevent smuggling 
of forbidden communications and articles. 
This operation was conducted quickly, and 
the officials, to the amazement of the spec- 
tators, appeared to be imbued with a sudden 
desire to treat the departing men with civil- 
ity and courtesy, doubtless to create a final 
good impression. As they were marched 
off to the station we gave them a rousing 
farewell cheer. We who were to remain 

380 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

behind, though heavy in heart, were not to 
be downed. A precedent had been estab- 
lished, and there was every reason to cherish 
the hope that we might be numbered among 
a future fortunate batch. 

The journey was not free from tragedy. 
Before many miles had been covered the 
train had to be stopped. Once the train had 
started, and the terrible buildings consti- 
tuting the internment camp of Ruhleben had 
slipped from sight, one of the prisoners, 
oyercome by the prospect of soon reaching 
home, fell a victim to the forces of reaction. 
His body was removed to be committed to 
German soil. 

Such is the procedure to which exchanged 
prisoners are submitted before they are al- 
lowed to leave Ruhleben. 

The establishment of the exchange sys- 
tem was of far-reaching individual concern 
to myself. For some months I had been 
hoping against hope that, sooner or later, 
some such arrangement might be concluded, 
and accordingly I had laid my own plans 
to secure freedom. 

Many may wonder how, and why, in view 

381 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

of the so-called perfection of Teuton organ- 
ization, a prisoner, young and active such 
as myself, succeeded in getting out of the 
clutches of the Germans, especially as I had 
been arrested as a spy in the pay of the 
British Government, had suffered the ago- 
nies of solitary confinement, had been sub- 
jected to a rigorous secret trial, was regarded 
as a dangerous person, and had never been 
acquitted of the terrible indictment, although 
I had evaded the great penalty. 

On more than one occasion I v^as tempted 
to make a bold bid for freedom by taking 
summary leave of my captors, but quiet re- 
flection convinced me that such a step might 
prove disastrous, whereas the scheme I was 
preparing could not possibly fail. Of this 
I was so certain as to be prepared to put it 
into operation at the first opportunity. I 
had completed everything to the uttermost 
detail, had turned over in my mind every 
possible contingency and the means to sur- 
mount it. 

As soon as I learned that the exchange 
of prisoners was being mooted throughout 
the camp I lodged an application with the 

382 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

authorities for inclusion among the favored. 
It was received with amusement, and I was 
sorely heckled by the officials for my impu- 
dence, but I did not mind, and smiled at 
their statement that I had been ear-marked 
for imprisonment until the end of the war. 
I had already set my project in motion, and 
everything was running in accordance with 
my expectations. I badgered the authori- 
ties constantly, and observed that the more 
I did so, the less pronounced became their 
antagonism to myself. Needless to say I 
refrained from taking a single person into 
my confidence. 

To the amazement of the camp my name 
duly appeared upon the notice-board as a 
prisoner to be exchanged. Highly elated, I 
outwardly preserved calm and indifference. 
My comrades could not make it out, and I 
not being communicative, they discussed the 
question more heatedly among themselves. 
But they were thoroughly sporting. They 
saw that I was playing a deep game, and 
they wished me every success, though they 
did not hesitate to express the opinion that 
I should be tripped up. 

3S3 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

Things proceeded uneventfully. I kept 
myself discreetly away from my colleagues 
and restrained myself from even the slight- 
est display of exuberance. The authorities 
were watching me at every turn, and I knew 
it. We came to grips for the first time in 
connection with the signing of passports by 
the representative from the American Em- 
bassy. The German authorities were issu- 
ing special passports to returning prisoners, 
but I had set out from England with an 
orthodox passport entitling me to proceed 
to Russia. I still possessed the document, 
and I expressed my determination to travel 
under no other. There was a spirited alter- 
cation for a few minutes, but at last I got 
my own way, the authorities compromising 
by transfering the gist of their special pass- 
port to the inner page of the British official 
passport, and attaching my photograph to 
the latter in conformation with the regula- 
tions. 

The train by which I left, started from 
Spandau, was under military guard, and pro- 
ceeded direct to the frontier, as usual. The 
final examination before leaving Spandau 

3^4 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

was critical for me. We were all turned out 
of the train after taking our seats to be 
counted and recounted, as well as to reply 
to any question which might be asked. I 
kept as much as I could in the background, 
did not invite questioning, spoke to no one, 
and answered the soldiers in monosyllables. 
The railway journey was tedious, and once 
or twice I was on the verge of breaking 
down. I was under the constant surveil- 
lance of the guard, every movement was 
closely followed, and a close watch was 
maintained to discover if I talked to any- 
one. I was inscrutable as the Sphinx. My 
colleagues passed the time in spirited con- 
versation, jokes, and joyous narration of 
what they intended to do when they re- 
gained British soil. It was more than my 
position was worth to join in with them. I 
was thinking hard, my nerves and wits 
keyed to concert pitch, while I braced my- 
self for the final encounter at the frontier 
station, where I knew the closing examina- 
tion would be searching, and where the 
slightest inadvertence would bring about my 
undoing. I was still the ' ' Englandische 

385 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

Spion'' to those in charge of the train, and 
they were very sorry to part with me. 

Reaching the frontier the train was 
stopped. Every man was turned out and 
forced to parade beside the line, soldiers 
with fixed bayonets mounting guard. We 
were counted and recounted to make sure 
the number of prisoners tallied with the offi- 
cial consignment note, for we were handled 
like freight. This ordeal proved how utterly 
impossible it would have been for anyone 
to have secreted himself upon the train, be- 
cause it was ransacked from end to end, in- 
side and out, above and beneath. 

We stood at attention beside the tracks 
while the cars were being searched. Names 
were called and we were ordered to pass 
through a narrow doorway, only wide 
enough to admit one person at a time, to 
submit to another examination and search. 
I was moving towards the building, when 
an officer stepped forward and clapped his 
hand on my shoulder. I turned, and in spite 
of my self-control, started. It was all up 
with me. Of that I felt certain, for the man 
was glowering at me menacingly. He sum- 

386 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

moned a superior officer, there was a brief 
harangue between them, and then the latter, 
turning to me, curtly ordered me to unstrap 
my baggage. I did so, with apparent good 
grace, although I was cursing inwardly. 
The contents of the bag were taken out one 
by one, shaken, examined inside out and 
from end to end, even being held up to the 
light to make sure I had not resorted to some 
extraordinary subterfuge to carry secret 
information. As the garments were passed 
they were dumped on the railway tracks 
which I was crossing when abruptly held up. 
Search revealing nothing incriminating, I 
was gruffly bidden to pick up my traps, and 
to repack them, the twain standing over and 
watching me closely meanwhile. Then 
came further cross-examination and rigid 
personal search. 

Although now I felt confident that I was 
safe, since there were no further formalities 
with which to comply, I did not relax my 
watchfulness. It would have been exceed- 
ingly dangerous to have done so since we 
were still on German soil, though over there, 
a few yards away, was the German-Dutch 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

frontier. Freedom was so near and yet so 
far. As I gazed upon the friendly stretch 
of Dutch territory, my nerve almost gave 
way, but I pulled myself together, and there 
being two hours on our hands before the 
train left for Holland, turned into the re- 
freshment room. The strain was commenc- 
ing to tell on me, and I was by no means 
easier in mind to find that I was still under 
suspicion, an official mounting watch over 
me from a pace or two distant. 

Kicking my heels in the refreshment room 
I felt that I could breathe a trifle more 
freely, for there was nothing to do now but 
to await the train. I was sitting brooding, 
when I think I must almost have bumped 
my head against the ceiling. Two names 
were bawled out by an officer, and mine was 
one of them. I nearly collapsed at this un- 
expected development, and pulling myself 
together with a great effort, I shuffled off 
in obedience to the summons. I was sub- 
mitted to another round of acute interroga- 
tion, and there was another examination of 
my baggage. I thanked my lucky stars that 
I had not surreptitiously slipped anything 

388 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

from my person into the bag after what I 
thought was the final examination. Had I 
done so, I should have been tripped up 
badly. They told me to repack and get into 
the railway carriage. 

At last the train jolted forward once 
more — but how slowly! It seemed to take 
as long to cover those few remaining yards 
to safety as it did to complete the miles be- 
tween the internment camp and this outpost 
of the German Empire. 

One cannot imagine the sigh of satisfac- 
tion which went up as we drew into the 
Dutch station. The prisoners stretched their 
chests, to drink freely and fully of the sweet 
air of freedom. The hospitality of the 
Dutch almost overwhelmed us. It seemed 
so strange to be feted and to be pressed with 
appetizing dainties, after what we had en- 
dured for so many months. 

A few hours later we swung into the 
estuary of the Thames, and a cheer went up 
as we threaded the field dotted with the 
fighting ships of the Home Country. That 
glimpse of Britain's Silent Might infused 
new life into us, and we gave another cheer 

3^9 



INTERNED IN GERMANY 

at the hearty welcome we received from the 
sailors who watched us ploughing Tilbury- 
wards. To appreciate the feeling with which 
I stepped ashore, and once more trod upon 
the firm soil of free Britain, one must have 
been in bondage, to have suffered cruelties 
and privations indescribable. Then, and not 
until, one is able to form some opinion of 
what return to the Homeland and all that 
it signifies, meant to us. 



THE END. 



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